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Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek, whose centre-right cabinet was defeated in a no-confidence vote in the lower house earlier this week, on Thursday formally submitted his resignation to President Václav Klaus. Contrary to expectations, the prime minister was not asked to remain in office until the end of the country’s EU presidency. President Klaus made it clear he would use his constitutional right to appoint whoever he wants as prime minister designate – setting down conditions that are almost impossible to meet.

Foreign ministers from the European Union’s 27 member states are meeting informally in the south Bohemian town of Hluboká this Friday. As well as discussing the EU’s external relations, foreign ministers may also be drawn into discussing the Czech Republic’s domestic crisis, following the collapse of Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek’s cabinet. Jan Richter is in Hluboká and joins me now on the phone.

Dům u Rotta is one of the most famous buildings by Prague’s Old Town Square, with a facade dating back to 1890 but foundations going back six hundred years. For a century-and-a-half the Neo-Renaissance building was the home of the famous Rott hardware store, but later was turned into a delicatessen and then a glassware and crystal seller. Now, an announced change: the site will soon reopen as a famous international franchise, the Hard Rock Café.

Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek has made trans-Atlantic headlines for his outspoken attack on US measures to tackle the economic crisis by describing them as “a road to hell.” The blunt criticism of President Barack Obama’s central economic policies were splashed across US newspapers and became the hot topic for talk shows with many asking where the Czech Prime Minister was coming from.

The collapse of Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek’s centre-right government has opened a great many questions – who will be at the helm in the coming months, how will this development affect the country’s EU presidency and the Czech Republic’s ability to deal with the effects of the global financial crisis? Political analyst Jiří Pehe says the main decision is now in the hands of one man – the country’s president.

The centre-right government of Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek fell in Tuesday’s vote of no-confidence in the Chamber of Deputies. The opposition, together with four MPs elected on coalition party tickets, succeeded in its fifth attempt to topple the cabinet. The prime minister will now deliver his resignation to President Václav Klaus, and await his next step.

An alliance of mayors, associations and prominent citizens have launched an attempt to force Prague city hall to hold a referendum on whether the Czech capital should host the 2020 Summer Olympic Games. But they face hurdles in trying to push the controversial question to a vote.

Czech goalkeeper Petr Čech has been named top Czech footballer for the year 2008. Čech, who plays for both London’s Chelsea as well as the national team, beat out Juventus midfielder Pavel Nedvěd for the accolade. It is the second time he has won the competition.

On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko began a two-day official visit to the Czech Republic. At a joint briefing with his Czech counterpart, Václav Klaus, at Prague Castle on Tuesday afternoon, Mr Yushchenko called for increased ties between Kiev and the EU, and insisted that this January’s gas crisis was not of his own doing.

Excellence in Czech design was honoured at the weekend at the annual Czech Grand Design awards. The Academy of Design of the Czech Republic, which consists of theorists, museum curators, journalists and others in the design community, awarded their highest accolade this year to Jan Čtvrtník.