Jan Hamáček re-elected Social Democrat leader

Jan Hamáček was re-elected leader of the Social Democratic Party at a two-day election conference in Hradec Kralové on Friday. Hamáček, who has led the party since February 2018, ran unchallenged. The candidates for the remaining five deputy posts include Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček, Labour and Social Affairs Minister Jana Maláčová and deputy chair of the lower house Tomáš Hanzel.

Foreign Minister Petříček, whose pro-European policy has come under fire from the Communist Party and President Miloš Zeman, said earlier that if he was not elected to a deputy post he would consider quitting as foreign minister.