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After his swearing in Friday Mr Klaus gave a short inauguration speech in which he outlined some principles of his new presidency, saying he would seek to be an active president, laying special emphasis on the presidential role of representing the country abroad, improving relations with the Czech Republic's immediate neighbours, and stressing the importance of the Czech Republic's integration to the European Union. Also mentioned was the importance of renewing and broadening the publics' general trust in party politics at home.

Politicians' reactions to President Klaus' inauguration speech on Friday were largely favourable, with many saying they believed Mr Klaus would hold to presidential promises made in his inauguration speech. Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla reacted positively saying the new president had 'a very clear idea of the demands of his office'. Communist representatives, on the other hand, were more careful in characterising Mr Klaus' words, with Communist representative Jiri Dolejs suggesting it was wiser to 'judge people by their deeds', and that his party would 'wait and see' just how Mr Klaus would acknowledge the Communist Party; his predecessor, Vaclav Havel, refused to engage the communists during thirteen years in office. Finally, Petr Mares of the Freedom Union, a junior partner in the country's ruling coalition, said he felt Mr Klaus should have reflected more on the legacy of his predecessor Vaclav Havel. However, he added that his statement was not intended as criticism.

The second reactor at the nuclear power plant in Temelin was shut down on Wednesday night due to a leakage in the non-nuclear part, a spokesman for the power plant said adding that it will take about a day to repair it. The reactor's output first reached 100 percent of capacity on Monday morning. The power start-up of the second reactor began in June 2002 and should be completed in a month.

Social Democrat MPs have been reacting to former Prime Minister Milos Zeman's recent comments in the media that have been highly critical of the current party leadership. Giving interviews from his country cottage, Mr Zeman, who retired from politics last year, has lashed out at Social Democrat leader Vladimir Spidla and Deputy-Chairman Stanislav Gross, blaming them for disunity within the party. This, he says, is why deputies voted tfor he opposition's candidate Vaclav Klaus instead of the ruling coalition's Jan Sokol in Friday's presidential elections. Social Democrat MPs have been calling on Mr Zeman to either share his opinion with the parties involved directly or stay out of party politics.