Zeman has edge as Czechs vote in runoff

Polls opened on Saturday in a tight run-off between two candidates with widely different views on Europe and Russia. Czech pollster Kantar TNS and Median agencies on Friday predicted euroskeptic Milos Zeman (above) would win 45.5 percent of the presidential election run-off, against 45 percent for the pro-Brussels centrist Jiri Drahos, with about 10 percent still undecided.

The Czech Republic is at a crossroads, with the two candidates articulating rival visions of Europe — Zeman's is vehemently euroskeptic and anti-immigration whereas Drahos is more pro-Brussels.

• Zeman came out on top of a nine-candidate field in the first round on January 12-13, with 38.56 percent, ahead of second-placed Drahos at 26.6 percent.
• The Kremlin-friendly 73-year-old Zeman ran on an anti-immigration and euroskeptic ticket.
• Polls in the EU and NATO member with a population of 10.6 million open at 2 p.m. local time (1300 UTC) on Friday and close at 2100 UTC, before reopening early on Saturday until early afternoon.

Drahos attacked Zeman as "a representative of the past political era [...] a symbol of division" in the final debate on Czech Television on Thursday. Zeman said Drahos, a newcomer to politics, "has no idea" of the "craft you have to learn for a long time."

Brussels or Moscow?

Zeman supports billionaire Prime Minister Andrej Babis' euroskeptic ANO movement, which won October's election, garnering 78 seats in the 200-seat parliament, but has since been shunned by potential coalition partners.

Babis' minority government lost a vote of confidence on January 16, although Zeman on Wednesday asked Babis to form a new cabinet and Babis has said he will name his cabinet before his term ends on March 8, regardless of the outcome of the presidential vote.

Immigration a key issue

Immigration has become a key issue in the campaign. The Czech Republic has received only 12 migrants under the EU quota system, but billboards during the campaign read: "Stop immigrants and Drahos. This is our country. Vote Zeman!"

Zeman's stance is similar to that of other populist EU-skeptic politicians in Warsaw and Budapest. He has also called on the EU to lift its sanctions on Russia.

Drahos ran using the slogan "Decency is a strength."

Electoral demographics

Zeman tends to represent low-income and less-educated rural voters, while Drahos’ support tends to come from wealthier, better-educated urbanites.

jbh/rc (AFP)