New Czech president pledges action against neo-Nazis

Milos Zeman, the Czech Republic's new president, has pledged in his inauguration speech that he would make the fight against neo-Nazis one of his priorities. Zeman said members of neo-Nazi commandos promoted an ideology that, if it won, would lead to the extermination of the Czech nation. Neo-Nazis could be found "in all the cities and towns" of the Czech Republic, Zeman declared.

The 68-year-old former prime minister, a Social Democrat, succeeded outgoing President Vaclav Klaus. In the presidential election, Zeman had beaten Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg. He is the first Czech head of state since the 1989 Velvet Revolution that was elected by universal suffrage.

Zeman is also considered a friend of Israel.

Neo-Nazi groups are a growing problem in the Czech Republic. They mainly target the Roma minority.