Czech President Taken to Hospital Day after Election

Czech President Milos Zeman was taken to a Prague hospital on Sunday, following a general election in which the billionaire populist was narrowly defeated by a centre-right alliance.

"Yes, I can confirm this information," Prague Military University Hospital spokeswoman Jitka Zinke told AFP, adding Zeman's doctor would comment later on Sunday.

Zeman was taken to the hospital shortly after meeting Prime Minister Andrej Babis, his long-time political ally, a day after his ANO party lost to the Together alliance, which said it was ready to form a majority government with another grouping.

The president had made it clear earlier that he would appoint the head of a party, not an alliance, following the election, suggesting Babis would get the first attempt at negotiating a viable cabinet.

After the talks at Zeman's residence outside Prague, the president ended up in Prague's Military University Hospital. His office has been secretive about his illness, giving no details for weeks.