Zeman wins the Czech presidential election

Pro-Russian incumbent President of the Czech Republic Milos Zeman took 52% of the vote to beat Milan Drahos, the liberal pro-EU candidate.

Two thirds of the population voted in the second round.

“This is my last victory”, Zeman, who is 73 years old, said. “In my next term I want to be less arrogant and more humble”, he promised. The President-elect announced he will give Prime Minister Andrej Babis a second chance to form a government.

Zeman has been very vocal in his opposition to Muslim migrants and refugees. He is also skeptical about the European Union.

Meanwhile, Drahos, a pro-EU academic with no former political experience, said he would “carry on”. He aims to “end the climate of populism and fear in Czech society”, he told the BBC.

A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE

Dan Drápal, a Christian analyst and pastor, told Evangelical Focus that “the brutal atmosphere of Czech politics” should change.

Churches in the country have not a unified approach to politics. “What is more important? The right political views - or personal character? That is the dilemma we face now and over which we are sharply divided”.

The Czech traditional anti-faith environment has changed slightly in the last years. “Until now, it was fashionable to oppose churches and Christianity”, Drápal explained. “This is slowly changing - most of the Czechs would now welcome mentioning the “Judaeo-Christian roots” in EU documents”.

Among evangelical Christians, a large majority sees Muslims as a potential threat to the culture, a recent survey showed.