Schwarzenberg becomes official presidential candidate

TOP O9 chairman and Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg has received the required number of signatures to officially launch his presidential bid. Mr Schwarzenberg received the signatures of all 40 of the MPs from his own party and the affiliated Mayors and Independents party. The foreign minister said that the real pre-election struggle would now begin, and that he was happily and resolutely prepared for it. He is currently trailing at around 6% in opinion polls, in which former PM Jan Fischer retains a sound lead above all others.