Miloš Zeman

Zeman was born in Kolín.[1] His parents divorced when he was two years old and he was raised by his mother, who was a teacher.[1][2] He studied at a high school in Kolín, then from 1965 he studied at the University of Economics in Prague, graduating in 1969.[1]

In 1968, during the Prague Spring,[2] he became a member of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, but was expelled in 1970 due to his opposition to the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia.[2][3] He was dismissed from his job and spent more than ten years working for the sports organisation Sportpropag (1971–84).[4] From 1984, he worked at the company Agrodat, but he lost his job again in 1989, as a result of a critical article he had written in Technický magazine in August 1989, entitled "Prognostika a přestavba" (Forecasting and Perestroika).[1][5][6]

In summer 1989, he appeared on Czechoslovak Television criticising the poor state of the Czechoslovak economy. His speech caused a scandal, but his views helped him join the leaders of the Civic Forum a few months later, during the Velvet Revolution.[7]

In 1990 Zeman became a member of the House of the Nations of the Czechoslovak Federal Assembly. In 1992, he ran successfully for the House of the People of the Federal Assembly, already as a member of the Czechoslovak Social Democracy (ČSSD), which he joined the same year. In 1993, he was elected chairman of the party,[1] and in the following years he transformed it into one of the country's major parties.

The success of ČSSD in the 1996 legislative election allowed him to prevent his rival Václav Klaus and his Civic Democratic Party (ODS) from forming a majority government. Zeman became the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and held this post until the early election in 1998.

In 1998, ČSSD won the election and Zeman became Prime Minister of a minority government, which he led for the next four years. In April 2001, he was replaced as leader by Vladimír Špidla.[8] Zeman then retired and moved to live in the countryside in the Vysočina Region. He won a presidential primary in 2002 to become the ČSSD nominee for president, but lost the 2003 presidential election to Václav Klaus, due to party disunity. Zeman became an outspoken critic of his former party's leaders. He left ČSSD on 21 March 2007, due to conflicts with the party leader and chairman, Jiří Paroubek.[9]

In October 2009, he founded a new party, Party of Civic Rights – Zemanovci.[10] The party did not win any seats in the 2010, 2013 or 2017 legislative elections.

Zeman in the Senate of Poland, 24 May 2013

In February 2012 Miloš Zeman announced his return to politics and intention to run in the first direct presidential election in the Czech Republic.[11] Polls indicated that he was one of the two strongest candidates in the election, alongside Jan Fischer.[12] Zeman narrowly won the first round of the elections and progressed to the second round to face Karel Schwarzenberg, winning by a clearer margin.[13] His term began in March 2013.

Zeman's alleged excessive alcohol consumption became a subject of public discussion and media attention on several occasions. Many Czechs believed he was drunk during his appearances at Czech TV headquarters, shortly after his victory in the 2013 presidential election, and during the exhibition of the Bohemian Crown Jewels.[14]

In May 2013, Zeman refused to grant a tenured professorship to literary historian Martin C. Putna, due to Putna's appearance at 2011 Prague Gay Pride.[15]

In June 2013, the coalition government led by Petr Nečas collapsed due to a corruption and spying scandal. Zeman, ignoring the political balance of power in the Czech Parliament, appointed his friend and long-term ally Jiří Rusnok as Prime Minister, and tasked him with forming a new government. This was described in parts of the Czech and foreign media as a political power grab, undermining parliamentary democracy and expanding his powers.[16][17][18][19] On 10 July, during the appointment of Rusnok's cabinet, Zeman advised the new cabinet members not to "let yourself get annoyed by media criticism from jealous fools who have never in their lives done anything useful".[20] Rusnok's government was short-lived, and resigned after losing a vote of confidence.

Zeman played an important role in a scandal that occurred in October 2013, shortly after the Czech legislative election. ČSSD First Deputy Chairman Michal Hašek and his allies in the party called for chairman Bohuslav Sobotka to resign following the party's poor election result, and excluded him from the team negotiating the next government. However, it subsequently emerged that Hašek and his allies had attended a secret post-election meeting with Zeman, where they were rumoured to have negotiated a 'coup' in ČSSD. Hašek initially denied the accusations, stating on Czech Television that "there was no meeting". However, his allies (deputies Milan Chovanec, Zdeněk Škromach, Jeroným Tejc and Jiří Zimola) later admitted that the meeting took place. The event sparked public protests in the country and eventually led to Hašek apologising and resigning his position in the party.[21] Zeman denied having initiated the meeting. His Party of Civic Rights – Zemanovci (SPOZ) received 1.5% of the vote in the election, winning no seats.[22]

On 6 April 2014, in the wake of the annexation of Crimea, Zeman called for strong action to be taken, possibly including sending NATO forces into Ukraine, if Russia tried to annex the eastern part of the country. Speaking on a radio show he said that, "The moment Russia decides to widen its territorial expansion to the eastern part of Ukraine, that is where the fun ends. There I would plead not only for the strictest EU sanctions, but even for military readiness of the North Atlantic Alliance, like for example NATO forces entering Ukrainian territory." The Czech Republic has been a NATO member since 1999, when Zeman was prime minister. In the Czech constitutional system it is the government that has the main responsibility for foreign policy, although the President is commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The ČSSD government of Bohuslav Sobotka resisted strong EU sanctions against Russia after the annexation, because of the negative economic impact such sanctions would have had on the country.[23]

Protest against Zeman in Prague, 17 November 2018

In November 2014, while Czechs celebrated the 25th anniversary of the 1989 Velvet Revolution against the Soviet-style communist regime, the festivities turned into an appeal for Zeman to resign. Many Czechs believe that Miloš Zeman has betrayed the legacy of Václav Havel who helped Czechoslovakia and then Czech Republic become a champion of human rights. Protesters see Zeman as too sympathetic to authoritarian regimes and too close to Russia and China. They carried football-style red penalty cards as a warning of ejection to Zeman and pelted eggs at him.[24][25]

An opinion poll conducted by the CVVM agency in March 2016 reported that 62% of Czechs trusted President Miloš Zeman,[26] up from 55% in September 2015.[27] By December 2016, his approval rating had fallen to 48% following a series of scandals, with around 49% of those surveyed stating that they didn't trust him.[28]

On 9 March 2017, during a meeting with his supporters, Zeman announced his intention to run again for the presidency,[29] confirming his decision the next day in a press conference. He said that he had been persuaded by the support of the people. He stated that he does not think he is the favourite in the election, and that he won't run a political campaign, attack his rivals, or participate in debates.[30] He also announced that he would participate in a television programme called A week with the President.[31]

On 26 March 2017, during a radio interview, Zeman stated that someone had placed child pornography onto a computer in the official residence. Zeman claimed that he had called "IT guys", who had found out that the hackers were from Alabama in the United States.[32] Later, Zeman's spokesman added that "the President, like every night, googled his own name on the internet and one of the pages contained child pornography".[33] According to police, there was no evidence of a hacking attack on Zeman's computer.[34]

Zeman decided to run for a second term and stood in the presidential elections in 2018. Observers compared the election to other elections such as the 2016 United States and 2017 French presidential elections, which saw a liberal internationalist and a right-wing populist running against each other.[35][36][37][38] Zeman won the election with 51.37% in the second round.[39][40][41]

On 25 July 2019, the Senate, for the first time in the history of the Czech Republic, approved and delivered to the Chamber of Deputies articles of impeachment against President Zeman, related to eight instances where he had allegedly acted in breach of the constitution, including his inaction in naming and dismissing cabinet ministers, interference in court cases, and acting against the foreign interests of the Czech government.[42] The Chamber of Deputies rejected indicting Zeman on 26 September 2019 with only 58 MPs voting for indictment out of 120 votes needed.[43]

During his premiership and term as leader of the Social Democrats, Zeman was considered a center-left politician, but during his time as president he began to be associated with far-right anti-immigration policies in response to the European migrant crisis.[44][45] The Guardian described Zeman as "left-of-centre" in the run-up to the 2013 presidential election,[46] but as "far-right" and a populist in 2018.[47] The New York Times described Zeman as a "populist leftist" in 2016.[48] Other outlets have simply labeled Zeman a populist.[35][49][50] He has been compared to United States President Donald Trump and endorsed Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.[51][52][53][54]

China

2016 demonstration against Zeman and China in Prague with picture of late President Václav Havel and Tibetan leader 14th Dalai Lama with flags of Tibet and Taiwan

Zeman has drawn criticism over his closeness to China. In 2014, he attracted criticism when he said he wished to learn how China had "stabilized" its society.[24] In 2016 he invited Chinese president Xi Jinping on a state visit, which sparked a wave of protest.[55] He labeled pro-Tibet protestors "mentally impaired individuals" and used police to prevent protesters from reaching Prague Castle. Police also entered a building of the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts (FAMU) to remove a Tibetan flag which had been hung out of a window.[56] Deputy Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek accused Zeman of "bootlicking authoritarian and unfree regimes".[57] Those actions were seen as a contravention of Czech society's freedom of expression, and protests were held by at least 50 members of the two chambers of the Parliament, opposition leaders and civil society groups as well as hundreds of supporters of Taiwan, Tibet, and Turkic Uyghur separatists in Xinjiang.[58][59][60]

Zeman has appointed Ye Jianming, the founder and chairman of CEFC China Energy, as his economic adviser.[61] The company is linked to the People's Liberation Army.[62][63] CEFC China Energy has acquired multiple assets in the Czech Republic, including travel agencies and media companies.[64][65] Ye was placed under investigation for economic crimes in 2018.[66][67]

Israel

Zeman meets with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin in Prague, 21 October 2015

Zeman is a long-standing supporter of the State of Israel.[80] Zeman was one of the most prominent international leaders to support the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital under President Donald Trump,[81] and he voiced support for following the US in moving its Israeli embassy to Jerusalem.[82] He criticized the EU's position on Jerusalem, calling its member states "cowards" and stating that they "are doing all they can so a pro-Palestinian terrorist movement can have supremacy over a pro-Israeli movement."[83][84]

United States and NATO

Zeman with U.S. President Barack Obama in New York City

Zeman, who played a role in achieving NATO membership for the Czech Republic,[69] has called for a referendum on NATO membership, though he supports remaining in the organization.[75] In November 2012, during a speech at the University of Economics, Prague, Zeman explained his dislike for Madeleine Albright, former US Secretary of State. Zeman stated that Albright had promised that there would be no bombardment of civilians during the 1999 NATO bombing of Serbia. "And Madeleine Albright made a promise, and Madeleine Albright didn't keep the promise. Since then, I don't like her."[96]

Zeman with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on 12 August 2020

In March 2015, Zeman criticised protests against the US Army's military convoy (called the "Dragoon Ride") crossing the Czech Republic following NATO exercises in Poland and the Baltic states:[97]

"In the past months I have been fighting anti-Russian fools, but most recently I have had to fight anti-American fools as well, since fools are evenly spread on both sides. ... I disagree with the U.S. troops being labelled an occupation army for one simple reason. We experienced occupation twice last century [1939 and 1968] and we know what it looks like."

— Miloš Zeman

Russia

Zeman meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow

Zeman has described the war in Donbass as "a civil war between two groups of Ukrainian citizens" that have foreign support,[100] and compared it to the Spanish Civil War.[101] As for the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, he has noted that the Kosovo precedent has been used as an argument for the separation of Crimea from Ukraine.[88]

Zeman announced that he intended to visit Moscow for the 2015 Victory Day celebrations and the 70th anniversary of the liberation from Nazi Germany. He said that he was not going to look at military equipment, but rather to honour the soldiers who had sacrificed their lives. He described his visit to Moscow as an "expression of thankfulness that we in this country don't have to speak German, if we would have become submissive collaborators of Aryan origin", and that "we don't have to say Heil Hitler, Heil Himmler, Heil Göring, and eventually Heil Heydrich, that would have been particularly interesting".[102] Most other EU leaders declared that they would not attend the events due to the conflict in eastern Ukraine.[103][104] U.S. ambassador Andrew H. Schapiro criticized the decision, saying that it would "be awkward" if Zeman was the only politician from the EU at the ceremony. Zeman responded by banning him from the Prague Castle.[105]

"I cannot imagine that the Czech ambassador in Washington would advise the US president where he should travel. And I will not allow any ambassador to have a say in my foreign travel plans."

— Miloš Zeman

The ban was later lifted by Zeman's office.[106]

In December 2019, Zeman criticised Russian protests against the Czech decision to recognise the anniversary of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 as a day commemorating the victims, describing it as "absolute insolence".[107][108]

Zeman (right) and Miroslava Němcová, former Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic (May 2013). In June 2013, the Civic Democratic Party (the leading party of the parliamentary coalition government) nominated her for the post of the Prime Minister; however, Zeman refused to appoint her and instead chose his long-time ally and friend Jiří Rusnok

Czechs showing red cards to the President during the protest named "I Want to Talk to You, Mr. President", on 17 November 2014, the 25th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution.

In 1996, before the legislative election, Zeman met with Czech-Swiss entrepreneur Jan Vízek in the German city of Bamberg. In the so-called "Bamberg Memorandum", a group of Swiss entrepreneurs allegedly agreed to fund the ČSSD pre-election campaign in exchange for economic influence in the Czech Republic after the election. The investigation ended in 2000, with Vízek convicted of falsification of the memorandum by copying signatures from earlier documents. He later admitted that he had intentionally publicised the case in order to compromise Zeman before the next elections in 1998. Zeman was never charged with any wrongdoing, but the reason for the meetings between Zeman and Vízek in 1996 was never revealed.[110]

In 1999, one of Zeman's advisers, Jaroslav Novotný, allegedly blackmailed the director of the state-owned Štiřín Castle, Václav Hrubý. Novotný allegedly pressured him to falsify evidence in order to prove that former Foreign Minister Josef Zieleniec corrupted journalists. The police confirmed the blackmail, but no charges were ever brought.[111]

Zeman has been criticized for his contacts with the powerful Czech lobbyist Miroslav Šlouf, formerly his chief adviser. While Zeman was prime minister, Šlouf maintained contact with the controversial entrepreneur František Mrázek, nicknamed the "Godfather of Czech Organized Crime". Šlouf and Mrázek met and exchanged information at the Office of the Czech Government.[112] Mrázek was assassinated in 2006. In leaked wiretapping records, he nicknames Zeman mlha ("fog") and claims that Zeman "could not be bribed, and wanted only a sandwich, three pickles and for people to like him."[113] In 2010, Šlouf and Martin Nejedlý, a representative of the Russian oil company LUKoil in the Czech Republic, were the main donors to his Party of Civic Rights – Zemanovci,[114] but Zeman denied that he had any connection with Lukoil.[3]

In 2002, German chancellor Gerhard Schröder cancelled an official visit to Prague after Zeman called the ethnic Germans in pre-war Czechoslovakia "Hitler's Fifth column".[115] Zeman stated that "the Czechs and Slovaks were doing the Sudeten Germans a favor by expelling them, because they granted them their wish to go Heim ins Reich".[116] Later, Zeman called Karel Schwarzenberg, his rival in the presidential campaign of 2013, a "sudeťák" (Sudeten German),[117] leading the Austrian Die Presse to ascribe Zeman's victory to an "unprecedented anti-German dirty campaign."[118]

On 26 May 2014, during festivities celebrating the independence of Israel, Zeman said "So let me quote one of their [Islamic] sacred texts to support this statement: "A tree says, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him. A stone says, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him."[119] I would criticize those calling for the killing of Arabs, but I do not know of any movement calling for mass murdering of Arabs. However, I know of one anti-civilisation movement calling for the mass murder of Jews."[120] When criticized and urged to apologise by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, his office replied "President Zeman definitely does not intend to apologise. For the president would consider it blasphemy to apologise for the quotation of a sacred Islamic text."[121]

Zeman's comments on the Jewish Museum of Belgium shooting and "Islamic ideology" in June 2014 caused a diplomatic dispute with Saudi Arabia. The diplomatic source said: "The Saudis had an exact list of what Zeman said on the issue in the past. The list had several pages. The [Czech] ambassador was in a very unpleasant situation as the protest had never gone so far before."[122]

On 17 November 2014, the 25th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, thousands of Czechs took part in a demonstration against Zeman, protesting his pro-Russian stance and vulgar language.[100][123] Eggs were also thrown, with one accidentally hitting the German president, Joachim Gauck; German officials said it was just a piece of eggshell.[123] On the same day, a group of about 60 people held a counter-demonstration in support of president Zeman.[124]

In September 2017 Zeman suggested that Bosnia and Herzegovina could become a base for Islamic State, causing a diplomatic row and provoking criticism from Bakir Izetbegović and the Bosniak public.[125]

Kateřina Zemanová, Miloš Zeman's daughter

In the 1970s, Zeman was married to Blanka Zemanová; the couple divorced in 1978.[136] In 1993, he married his assistant Ivana Bednarčíková[137] (born 29 April 1965).

He has an adult son named David from his first marriage. His daughter from the second, Kateřina Zemanová (born 1 January 1994), was one of the most visible faces in Zeman's presidential election team. In a post-election speech, Zeman asked her to be his "informal First Lady", as his wife is reportedly shy and does not like media attention.[138] When asked about his religious beliefs, he describes himself as a "tolerant atheist".[139][140][141]

Zeman is a heavy drinker and long-term chain smoker. He only slightly curbed his consumption of alcohol and cigarettes after being diagnosed with diabetes in 2015.[142] He is also suffering from diabetic neuropathy in the feet, which causes him difficulties when walking.[143]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Miloš Zeman.

• Curriculum Vitae at the website of the Prague Castle
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Miloš Zeman at IMDb
• Works by or about Miloš Zeman in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• "Miloš Zeman collected news and commentary". The New York Times.
• Miloš Zeman at the website of the Government of the Czech Republic (in Czech)