Zeman: Trying to keep meeting secret “comical”

President Miloš Zeman has for the first time spoken about a secret meeting at his residence that preceded an attempt to remove the leader of his former party, the Social Democrats. In an interview with Právo, Mr. Zeman said the talks had been instigated by people around Michal Hašek, who spearheaded the subsequent move against party chairman Bohuslav Sobotka. Mr. Hašek in particular has been pilloried for denying the meeting took place only to later admit it had happened, and the president said it was “somewhat comical” that the participants had tried to keep the meeting under wraps. The Social Democrats came first in recent elections and the president says he will task their nominee with forming a government.

Author: Ian Willoughby