Zeman doesn't rule out another bid to become Czech president at 82

Former Czech President Miloš Zeman has not ruled out running for head of state once again, although he stopped short of giving a straight answer. He made the remarks in an interview with TN.cz, drawing a comparison between his own situation and that of US President Joe Biden.

"Miloš, you're 82, and you shouldn't become the Czech Biden. So yes, the temptation is there, but so is the awareness of the risk of becoming the Czech Biden," Zeman admitted. The politician will soon mark his 82nd birthday — he was born on 28 September 1944 in Kolín.

A quote from Nietzsche and "human, all too human"

The former president quoted German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, describing his renewed urge to run as "human, all too human." "Think of me as a human being, I'm not a robot," Zeman added, stressing that he has always had an adventurous streak. He did, however, add a caveat: the fact that he's tempted doesn't mean he's made up his mind.

Zeman, a former Social Democratic prime minister, became the Czech Republic's first directly elected president in 2013 and won a second term in 2018. Under the constitution, no one can serve more than two consecutive terms as president, so Petr Pavel succeeded Zeman as head of state — meaning Zeman is now technically eligible to run again.

Age and the Biden precedent

Asked point-blank whether the public should brace for a surprise announcement of his candidacy, Zeman was evasive: "Of course, the most interesting thing in politics is a surprise." He had first floated the possibility of running in an earlier interview with iDnes, saying that deep down he thinks about it constantly, but that his "alter ego" keeps reminding him of the risk of repeating Biden's fate.

Petr Pavel's current mandate runs until March 2028; he has not officially announced whether he will seek re-election and has said he will decide next year. If Zeman were to run and win, he would be 83 upon taking office and would finish a five-year term at the age of 88.

Joe Biden had likewise initially planned to seek a second term and would have become US president again at 82 had he won, but he withdrew his candidacy amid public doubts about his health. Kamala Harris took up the baton, only to lose in 2024 to Donald Trump, who is now the sitting US president.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz