Zeman sworn in as president at Prague Castle ceremony

Miloš Zeman has been sworn in as Czech president in a ceremony at the Vladislav Hall at Prague Castle. Mr. Zeman is the first directly-elected head of state in the history of the Czech Republic. After his swearing-in at a joint session of both chambers of Parliament, the new president inspected a military parade and attended a brief service in honour of St. Wenceslas, before having lunch with senior state officials. He was forced to sign the oath a second time, after the first copy was found to contain a typo.

Mr. Zeman, who is 68, has been one of the dominant figures in Czech politics since the fall of Communism. After turning the Social Democrats into a major party in the 1990s, he served as prime minister between 1998 and 2002.

Author: Ian Willoughby