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Hospital staff shield Czech President Zeman on arrival
Photo: MARTIN DIVISEK / EPA
According to his doctors, the Czech President Miloš Zeman is in a stable condition.
A spokeswoman for the military hospital in Prague announced to the CTK agency on Monday.
The 77-year-old was brought to the clinic's intensive care unit on Sunday - one day after the parliamentary election, in which the liberal-conservative opposition won a majority of the seats in the House of Representatives.
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Miloš Zeman in the parliamentary elections on Sunday
Photo: Jiri Ovcacek / Twitter / imago images / CTK Photo
Given the unclear state of health of the head of state, the Czech Republic threatens a time of uncertainty.
The president plays a crucial role after the election, because he gives the mandate to form a government.
The constitution does not formally make any regulations.
Does Zeman prefer the populist Babiš?
Zeman is considered a close ally of the incumbent populist Prime Minister Andrej Babiš.
He had stressed several times in the past that he would not give the first government mandate to a coalition, but to the strongest individual party.
That would be Babiš's populist ANO, since the strongest opposition alliance, »Spolu«, consists of three parties.
In the parliamentary elections, the opposition secured a total of 108 seats under top candidate Petr Fiala.
The ANO von Babiš had 72 seats, the ultra-right freedom and direct democracy to 20 of the 200 seats in the House of Representatives.
more on the subject
Shortly after parliamentary elections: Czech President Zeman in intensive care
Prime Minister Babiš between Pandora Papers and parliamentary elections: The Czechs and their billionaire by Jan Puhl
Multibillionaire Babiš was confronted with revelations from the Pandora Papers at the end of the election campaign.
According to research by an international network of journalists, the entrepreneur is said to have bought real estate in France through foreign letterbox companies in 2009.
He denied allegations of money laundering and spoke of a "dirt campaign".
Zeman wasn't released from the clinic until September
A spokesman for Zemans said his hospital stay would not jeopardize exploratory talks between the parties after the election.
Above all, the President needs rest now.
If the head of state cannot award the mandate to form a government, this task is transferred to the President of the House of Representatives.
Zeman's health has been a cause for concern for weeks.
He was only released from a clinic in September after an eight-day hospital stay.
According to earlier reports, Zeman suffers from diabetes and is dependent on a wheelchair because of a nerve disease.
Czech media also report serious liver problems.
He has been at the head of his country since 2013.
Before that he was Prime Minister of the Czech Republic from 1998 to 2002.
slü / dpa
