2018 Czech Republic Presidential Election Run-Off - Iincumbent Milos Zeman was re-elected Czech president Saturday Jan 27,2018

Incumbent Milos Zeman wins second term in Czech presidential run-off

Pro-Russian incumbent Milos Zeman was re-elected Czech president on Saturday Jan 27,2018, narrowly outpacing his pro-European liberal rival Jiri Drahos in a knife-edge run-off that underscored deep divisions in the EU and NATO state.

The populist ex-communist Zeman took 51.36  % of the vote against 48.63 % for Drahos, Czech Television reported quoting full official results.

A former leftist prime minister, the 73-year-old Zeman represents poorer and rural voters with a lower level of education, while academic and political novice Drahos, 68, appeals to wealthier, well-educated urbanites.

Zeman's victory comes amid a political crisis as billionaire populist Prime Minister Andrej Babis -- dubbed the "Czech Trump" -- is fighting police charges of EU subsidy fraud that are hampering his ability to form a government.

Speaking to a jubilant crowd at his Prague campaign headquarters, Zeman vowed to give political ally Babis plenty of time to cobble together a government.

"I see no reason why I should squeeze Andrej Babis with too short a deadline for the nomination of his government," said a jovial Zeman.

He also struck an overtly populist tone by insisting that the "intelligence of journalists...(and) some politicians is significantly lower than that of normal citizens."

Congratulating Zeman on his narrow win, Drahos told backers in Prague that "we haven't won, but we haven't lost either," pledging he would not retreat from public life