Prague, Jan 31 (CTK) – President Milos Zeman named 25 new judges today, having appeared for the first time in public since the weekend presidential runoff in which he defeated academic Jiri Drahos.
The ceremony was scheduled to start at 14:00, but Zeman was about 15 minutes late.
He apologised to the judges for the delay, arguing that he received a phone congratulation for his re-election from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“The congratulation was somewhat longer than both of us expected,” Zeman said.
The Czech president appoints new judges at the government’s proposal.
Previously, Zeman named new judges last September.
Zeman did not appear in the public since the weekend. After the election, he had a rest at the presidential mansion in Lany, Central Bohemia.
On Monday, he named 12 university rectors. However, they did not receive the decrees from Zeman at the usual ceremony at Prague Castle, but one day later, from the education minister.
Zeman has tense relations with most rectors.
Zeman is planning a holiday for the next week. He wants to stay in Lany, where he will be reading.