Former President Miloš Zeman celebrated his 80th birthday

HLUBOKÁ NAD VLTAVOU, 28 September - Former Czech President Miloš Zeman celebrated his 80th birthday on Saturday. In addition to his loved ones, a number of Czech and foreign politicians arrived. Zeman invited his guests to the four-star Štekl Hotel in Hluboká nad Vltavou and presented them with a copy of his last book, The Presidential Destiny, signed by him.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico arrived on Friday evening, accompanied by Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák, and Slovak President Peter Pellegrini, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Polish President Andrzej Duda and other top representatives of European countries arrived on Saturday afternoon. Chinese Ambassador to the Czech Republic Feng Biao and his wife were also among the congratulators, who brought Zeman many thematic gifts from China and presented him with a congratulatory message from President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China.

The gala dinner was also attended by Zeman's predecessor as President, Václav Klaus, former Prime Minister and head of the ANO movement Andrej Babiš, former Finance Minister Alena Schillerová, ANO Vice-Chair Karel Havlíček, MEP Filip Turek, KSČM Chair Kateřina Konečná, Czech National Bank Governor Aleš Michl, and Zeman's son from his first marriage, David, a physician. In his speech, Zeman thanked some of those present by name and wished Babiš victory in the elections. The speech was delivered in English.

About 200 people received the invitation, but Prime Minister Fiala did not. According to Zeman, they would look at each other with sour smiles, and that would be hypocritical. "A birthday is basically not only a celebration of age, but also a celebration of friendship. And after all, you do make a certain number of real friends in your 80s," Zeman said in an interview with Terezia Tománková on CNN Prima News. The celebration was organized by the Friends of Miloš Zeman association, whose chairman is former castle chancellor Vratislav Mynář.

Zeman, who has been active in politics since the 1990s, was chair of the Social Democrats' single-party minority government from 1998 to 2002. He ran unsuccessfully for the presidency in 2003. He was elected to the highest state office in 2013 in the first direct election of a head of state. He completed his second term as president on 8 March last year.

PHOTO Facebook M. Zeman / gnews.cz HeK