President Milos Zeman

Perhaps, Carl Bildt will be able to analyze what this tells us about the Czech Republic: former Prime Minister Milos Zeman, a supposed left-wing politician and statistician, has won the first direct presidential election by 54.8 per cent to 45.2 per cent on a turn-out of 59.11 per cent.

The BBC tells us that

Although Czechs are generally disillusioned with politics, they turned out in their droves to choose between the two very different candidates - Mr Zeman, the acerbic former Social Democrat prime minister, and Karel Schwarzenberg, the elderly, aristocratic foreign minister.

The urban elite voted en masse for Mr Schwarzenberg - who was supported by many in the media and had a strong Facebook following, says our correspondent.

I wouldn't go as far as calling under 60 per cent "turning out in droves" but it is beter than many elections. The funniest comment in the BBC report is

Mr Zeman is seen as a hard-drinking, chain-smoking politician, known for his witty put-downs of opponents.

Seen by whom? Is he hard-drinking and chain-smoking or not? His wit was not exactly in evidence when he accused his opponent of being more or less anti-Czech because he had spent the years of Communism in Austria, having been thrown out of the country under President Benes by those infamous decrees. In fact, one of the things this election does tell us about the Czech Republic is that the people are still sensitive enough on the issue not to wish to discuss it.

As so often the case, it is the man who seems to have "links with former communist officials and businessmen with links to Russia" who has been brandishing the nationalist ideas.

As to President-Elect Zeman being in favour of further European integration, that does not make him any different from his opponent. I fear that with the retirement of Vaclav Klaus, Europe has lost its only rational politician.