New Czech president inaugurated

On Friday, former prime minister Vaclav Klaus officially became the second president of the Czech Republic. At the inauguration ceremony at Prague Castle, Mr Klaus took the presidential oath at a joint session of both houses of parliament.

Vaclav Klaus, photo: CTK

Just before he officially became the Czech Republic's second president on Friday, well-wishers greeted Vaclav Klaus and his wife Livia as they lay flowers at a statue of T.G. Masaryk. The inauguration of the Czech Republic's newest president happened to fall on the 153rd anniversary of the birth of T.G. Masaryk, the first president of Czechoslovakia.

At two o'clock in the afternoon the inauguration ceremony began in Prague Castle's Vladislav Hall. Present were the Czech Republic's first president, Vaclav Havel, and his wife Dagmar Havlova, together with parliamentarians, cabinet ministers, foreign diplomats and other guests. Mr Klaus swore the presidential oath and signed a written copy of it - although the pen that he was given did not work, so he had to use one from his own pocket.

After taking the oath, President Klaus made a speech, which he began by addressing Vaclav Havel as "Mr President" - adding that that is how Mr Havel should always be addressed. Vaclav Klaus thanked parliament for electing him and referred to the support that he had received across the political spectrum, which included controversial votes from the Social Democrats and the Communists. In what was perceived as criticism of Vaclav Havel's presidential style, Mr Klaus said that he wanted to be an active president, rather than an activist president.

Vaclav Klaus and Frantisek Perina, photo CTK

The new Czech president also stated that he had faith in the parliamentary system, and that as head of state he would only influence the political process indirectly - a reference to the fact that he remains honorary chairman of the Civic Democratic Party. He also put aside his reputation as a eurosceptic when he said that one of his priorities as president would be the integration of the Czech Republic into the European Union.

I spoke to Defence Minister Jaroslav Tvrdik after the ceremony, and asked him what his reaction was to Vaclav Klaus' speech:

"I think that the president is as of today the president of us all, and I wish him good luck in his post. That is the important thing. And how successful it will be is essentially up to him, but I will certainly and gladly help him with that."

The first thing that Mr Tvrdik helped President Klaus with immediately after the inauguration was a review of the troops in a courtyard of Prague Castle. There Vaclav Klaus was also greeted by hundreds of supporters waving Czech flags and carrying freshly printed posters of the new president. The supporters were held back from the president's podium behind ropes, but after Mr Klaus inspected the troops he invited the people to come closer, and at once they all ran towards him. As he said during the presidential elections, he wants to bring the president closer to the people...

As Vaclav Klaus walked among the crowd and thanked people for their support, I managed to ask the freshly inaugurated president how he felt, and he responded in his typically dry manner:

Mr President, how do you feel today?

"Not bad, not bad."