Friends of Zeman set to agree manifesto after official registration

Former prime minister Miloš Zeman may be about to come out of retirement and re-enter politics, following the official registration of The Friends of Miloš Zeman Civic Association with the Interior Ministry last week. The organisation’s spokesman Miroslav Grégr – who served as industry minister in a Social Democrat government headed by Mr Zeman – told the newspaper Právo on Wednesday that it would formulate a manifesto at a meeting in Prague next week. Mr Grégr said the group, which may attract up to 500 members, now needed to create a functioning organizational network. The Friends of Miloš Zeman are due to hold their first public events after the summer holidays. Mr Zeman was prime minister for four years at the turn of the decade and failed in a bid to become president in 2003. He quit the Social Democrats last year due to differences with current leader Jiří Paroubek.