The first popularly elected president of the Czech Republic,Milos Zeman, has been in office since March 2013. He is an experienced politician, previously served as prime minister of the Czech Republic, for many years he was a member of parliament.
Origin, childhood and adolescence
The current president of the Czech Republic was born in the town of Kolinin the family of the postal employee and teacher. His father left the family early and did not care for his son, so his mother and grandmother raised Milos. He was a painful child, from childhood he was diagnosed with heart disease, which in his youth served as the basis for exemption from military service.
Back in 1963 in high school graduation classthe uncompromising character of Milos showed up when he suggested to the teacher to discuss his essay on the basis of the book about the first president of Czechoslovakia Masaryk, banned in Czechoslovakia. Then, for the first time, Milos had to face the restriction of freedom of speech: he was not at first admitted to the final exams, and then was not given the necessary advice for entering the university.
Years of study and first steps in politics
Two years, the future president of the Czech Republic worked inthe accounting department of the factory "Tatra" in his hometown, before he could enroll in the correspondence department of the University of Economics in Prague. Two years later he transferred to the full-time department and moved to the capital. At university, he is noted as a very capable student. Milos becomes the organizer of the discussion club, actively participates in the discussion of current political processes.
And in the courtyard was the year 1968, the time "Praguespring "when the leadership of the Czechoslovak Communist Party, headed by Alexander Dubcek, put forward the concept of building" socialism with a human face. "Milos Zeman fully supports these aspirations and in the same year joins the Communist Party.
However, the hopes of the Czechoslovak reformers are notwas destined to come true. The troops of the Warsaw Pact countries were brought into the country. Political purges began inside her. The current president of the Czech Republic was also subjected to them, and in 1969 he was expelled from the Communist Party. This coincided with the graduation from the university, and the young economist immediately felt difficulties with finding a job.
Career in socialist Czechoslovakia
Тринадцать лет нынешний президент Чехии работает in a sports organization. Then in the mid-80s it goes to the agricultural enterprise "Agrodat" and, finally, gets the opportunity to do research in the field of economics. The result was his article "Design and Reconstruction", published in 1989 in one of the scientific journals and containing sharp criticism of the economic policy of the Czechoslovak authorities.
Readers of the older generation probably rememberWhat public response did the article of economist Nikolay Shmelev "Advances and Debts" published in the summer of 1987 in Novy Mir cause in the USSR? That's about the same response, and caused an article Zeman. She was actively discussed in print and on television. The authorities tried to put pressure on Zeman. He even lost his job, but soon revolutionary changes began in the country.
"Velvet Revolution" and the beginning of a political career
In the autumn of 1989 mass starts in Pragueprotest demonstrations. The future president of the Czech Republic Zeman takes an active part in them. He speaks at rallies, compares the standard of living in Czechoslovakia with African countries, and such arguments are a huge success with his listeners.
Miloš Zeman becomes one of the leadersthe Civil Forum, which has become a representative of the protesters in negotiations with the authorities, writes the first political program of the forum. After the peaceful transfer of power from the Communists to the representatives of the democratic forces, he goes to work in an academic research institute engaged in economic forecasting, and in 1990 he becomes a member of the renewed parliament.
Career in the Czech Republic
Since 1992, the future president of the Czech Republic has beena member of the Social Democratic Party. According to her list that same year, he was elected to parliament, and soon became the chairman of this party. As a Social Democrat, Zeman was re-elected to parliament in 1996, after which he took over as chairman of his lower house.
1998 special parliamentary electionsbrought the Social Democrats, led by Zeman victory, and he became the prime minister of the Czech Republic. Under his leadership, the country became a member of NATO and acquired a professional army. The Zeman government has completed the privatization of state property and the construction of the Temelin nuclear power plant in South Bohemia.
In 2001, as a result of intrapartydisagreement Zeman was removed from his post as head of the party, and the following year he resigned from his post as head of government. In 2007, he left the ranks of the Social Democrats, and in 2009 founded the "Civil Rights Party", which so far has not been able to get into the parliamentary elections.
The first president of the Czech Republic, elected popularly
The two predecessors of Miloš Zeman in this post,Vaclav Havel and Vaclav Klaus were elected by parliament. Thanks to an amendment to the Czech constitution adopted in 2011, the president of the country was elected by direct popular vote. The main powers of the President of the Czech Republic, the head of the country, are that he represents her at the international level and is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.
In the first round of the 2013 elections, Zeman receivedthe relative majority of votes won in the second round the then foreign minister Karel Schwarzenberg. His oath as president in front of both houses of parliament was held on March 8, 2013.
Zeman's attitude to Russia
Unlike their European counterparts, the presidentCzech Republic Miloš Zeman emphasizes his friendly attitude towards our country. He disapprovingly spoke about the economic sanctions imposed against the Russian Federation. Unlike many European politicians, he openly criticized the actions of the Ukrainian authorities in the Donbas.
A vivid confirmation of the attitude of Zeman to ourthe country became his presence (the only European leader!) on May 9 in Moscow at the celebration of the 70th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War. At the same time, it was noticeable that he had difficulty moving: when walking, he leans on a stick. However, nothing prevented Milos Zeman, Russia's true friend, from coming to honor the memory of the millions of our compatriots who gave their lives in the fight against fascism.
