Czech president Zeman, predecessor Klaus hospitalized

FILE - In this Thursday, June 10, 2021 file photo, the President of the Czech Republic Milos Zeman addresses the media during a joint press conference after their meeting at the Hofburg palace with the Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen in Vienna, Austria. Czech President Milos Zeman was hospitalized on Tuesday Sept. 14, 2021, while his predecessor Vaclav Klaus was undergoing tests in the same hospital. (AP Photo/Lisa Leutner, File) (Lisa Leutner, Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

PRAGUE – Czech President Milos Zeman was hospitalized Tuesday while predecessor Vaclav Klaus was undergoing tests at the same hospital.

The presidential office didn’t immediately comment on Zeman’s hospitalization, which was confirmed by Prague’s military hospital. Further details weren't immediately given.

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An adviser to Zeman told Czech public radio that he was there for a regular check.

Zeman, 76, is a heavy smoker who has suffered from diabetes and neuropathy linked to it. He has trouble walking and has been using a wheelchair.

Klaus was also admitted to the same hospital Tuesday to undergo unspecified tests. He spent time at the hospital last weekend because of high blood pressure, his spokesman told Czech public television.

Klaus, 80, a vocal opponent of the coronavirus restrictions, fell ill with COVID-19 in February but didn’t need hospitalization.