OREANDA-NEWS. Czech President Milos Zeman cannot perform his official duties due to health problems, Chairman of the country's Senate Milos Vystrcil said on Monday, October 18. He referred to the conclusion of the Prague Military University Hospital, where Zeman has been undergoing treatment for about two weeks. The long-term prognosis regarding Zeman's health is «extremely uncertain», and the possibility of his return to work in the coming weeks is «unlikely», the head of the Czech Senate said.

The exact diagnosis of 77-year-old Zeman, who was admitted to the intensive care unit on October 10, has not been disclosed, but the Czech media write that hospitalization may be associated with aggravated liver problems. The politician suffers from diabetes, he moves in a wheelchair.

The duties of the President in the Czech Republic are mainly ceremonial. However, Zeman's hospitalization came at an important political moment — the absence of the president blocks the formation of a new government.

Now the parliament has to decide whether it is necessary to transfer the powers of the president to another representative of the state, as stipulated in the constitution. The President may also be temporarily relieved of his official duties by a simple majority vote in both houses of Parliament.

On October 9, the two-day voting in the elections to the Chamber of Deputies of the country's Parliament ended in the Czech Republic. After counting 100 percent of the ballots, it turned out that the ANO movement led by the current Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Andrei Babis, lost the elections, slightly losing to the opposition alliance «Together».

The parliamentary elections in the Czech Republic were held against the backdrop of a scandal over the journalistic investigation of the «Pandora Dossier», one of the defendants in which was Babis, to whom, as many observers believe, Zeman is loyal. It is indicated that shortly before his hospitalization, Milos Zeman met with the prime minister. According to the Czech Constitution, the President of the country must propose to Parliament a candidate for the post of head of government.