President Klaus describes successor Zeman as “enemy”

The president, Václav Klaus, held a meeting with his successor, Miloš Zeman, at Prague Castle on Tuesday. Mr. Klaus told reporters that while he had supported Mr. Zeman in the recent presidential election, he remained his “eternal and immortal enemy” and had agreed with very few statements Mr. Zeman had ever made. For his part, Mr. Zeman said he wished to thank Mr. Klaus for backing him against Karel Schwarzenberg in the country’s first direct presidential election. The president formerly headed the right-wing Civic Democrats, while the future head of state led the leftist Social Democrats. While Mr. Zeman was prime minister from 1998 to 2002, Mr. Klaus’s party supported his government under a much-criticised “opposition agreement”.