About this election
The Czech presidential election of January 2018 returned the incumbent, Miloš Zeman, to office for a second five-year term. In a closely fought run-off he defeated the independent challenger Jiří Drahoš by 51.4% to 48.6%, confirming the deep divide between Zeman's more rural, eastern and Eurosceptic base and the pro-Western, urban electorate that backed his opponent.
Since a 2012 constitutional change, the President of Czechia has been elected directly by the people rather than by parliament, for a five-year term renewable once. The election uses a two-round system: if no candidate wins an absolute majority in the first round, the top two advance to a run-off two weeks later. The presidency is largely ceremonial, but it carries real influence — appointing the prime minister and Constitutional Court judges, vetoing legislation and acting as a prominent voice in foreign policy — and Zeman had used the office assertively during his first term.
Zeman, a veteran of the Social Democrats turned populist, ran a low-key first-round campaign while leaning on his incumbency, his warmth toward Russia and China, and his hard line on migration. A crowded field of challengers competed to face him: the front-runner among them was Jiří Drahoš, a chemist and former head of the Academy of Sciences, who positioned himself as a dignified, pro-European alternative. Other contenders included the diplomat Pavel Fischer, the lyricist-entrepreneur Michal Horáček and the physician-activist Marek Hilšer.
In the first round Zeman led with 38.56%, ahead of Drahoš on 26.60%, with Fischer (10.23%), Horáček (9.18%) and Hilšer (8.83%) following and the former prime minister Mirek Topolánek managing only 4.30%. As most eliminated candidates endorsed Drahoš, the run-off was expected to be tight. Zeman prevailed 51.36% to 48.63%, a margin of about 152,000 votes, on a turnout of around 66.6% — winning strongly in Moravia and the industrial north-west while Drahoš dominated Prague, the larger cities and much of central Bohemia.
Zeman's second term was marked by his continued advocacy of closer ties with Moscow and Beijing, frequent clashes with the government and media, and growing concern over his health. He worked closely with Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, and his sympathies toward Russia became starkly controversial after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which he condemned in a notable reversal. Barred from a third term, Zeman left office in March 2023, succeeded by Petr Pavel.
Compiled and reviewed by Bartłomiej Paruzel, Election Data Analyst, from official results. See our data methodology.