ČTK

Merkel Joins Ranks of World Leaders to Congratulate Zeman on his Victory

Berlin, Jan 31 (CTK) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel congratulated Czech President Milos Zeman on his re-election a few days after his victory, stressing both countries’ close relations and the necessity of cooperation in the European spirit in the congratulation her office released to CTK today.

 

“Dear Mr President, I cordially congratulate you on our re-election as the president of the Czech Republic. I wish you all luck and success for the responsible task in the future,” wrote Merkel, who congratulated on Czech PM Andrej Babis (ANO) on his appointment last December in a similar manner.

 

“Germany and the Czech Republic are close partners in the European Union that are connected by relations full of trust today,” Merkel wrote.

 

“The tragic chapters of our history were replaced with the times of friendship and reconciliation. Now it is important for us to keep cooperating in the European spirit in the period full of events and challenges for Europe,” Merkel also wrote.

 

The German Government Office released the congratulation today, four days after Zeman defended his post in the January 26-27 second round of the direct presidential election, gaining 51.4 percent of the vote and beating his rival, former Science Academy chairman Jiri Drahos.

 

Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert said at a press conference on Monday that the Chancellor would definitely congratulate Zeman if this was common according to the protocol.

 

However, Seibert refused to say whether Merkel was pleased by the victory of the politicians who was often labeled a populist in Germany. The Chancellor is always impartial as far as the elections in the partner European countries are concerned, he only said.