Miloš Zeman slams President Petr Pavel, lauds Donald Trump and releases expanded memoir

Former Czech President Miloš Zeman posted a photo of himself by a lake and used the occasion to launch a sharp critique of his successor, President Petr Pavel. Zeman argued that opponents of Pavel defend Czech sovereignty, while his own critics, he claimed, seek to weaken the republic and increase U.S. influence. He also praised U.S. President Donald Trump, saying Trump’s return to power was a positive development.

At the same time Zeman’s new expanded edition of his memoir "Jak jsem se (ne)mýlil v politice" was published by Olympia. The book adds a lengthy interview covering his decade on the Prague Castle, his disputes with former BIS chief Michal Koudelka, and references to the Novichok incident, the Vrbětice explosions and alleged Russian involvement. Zeman recounts that he repeatedly refused to promote Koudelka to general rank, a decision later reversed by President Pavel.