Related articles

The right-of-centre Civic Democratic Party has said it wants the country’s interim prime minister, Jan Fischer, and parties to agree on holding no further parliamentary sessions except on issues with a broad political consensus until the national election in May. The party’s deputy chairman Petr Nečas made the statement on Friday, stressing that the Chamber of Deputies should only debate bills necessary for the running of the state and the economy. He also charged that the rival Social Democrats were conducting what he called an “irresponsible” election campaign by trying to push through programmes that would balloon the state budget deficit. Recent sessions have seen the Civic Democrats repeatedly use delay tactics to block the political Left from passing measures that would increase salaries (through 13th month pay) and maternity leave benefits.

In related news, the Social Democrats agreed on Friday afternoon after the latest session was dissolved that they would also be willing to negotiate with other parties and the prime minister on the easing of current obstruction in Parliament, and find common ground on major issues until the election. At the same time, they suggested, they would continue pushing their own priorities.

General elections will be held in the Czech Republic on the last weekend of May, the country’s president, Václav Klaus, announced on Friday. The dates are the latest possible on which the elections could have been held. While Mr Klaus had previously hinted at those dates, their confirmation will help party bosses plan their campaigns.

Speakers of the two Czech chambers of parliament have called for elections to the lower house to be held before the end of May. Their call came following a New Year’s meeting with Czech President Václav Klaus on Tuesday. President Klaus said on Monday that he favoured calling a vote at the latest possible date, on May 28 -29.

But speaker of the upper house, Přemysl Sobotka, said he would prefer the vote a week earlier. His lower house counterpart, Miloslav Vlček, suggested the date should be around May 15. They argue an earlier election would give more time for a new government based on a political mandate to replace the current caretaker administration. One of the main tasks of the new government will be to decide on a budget for 2011.

The acting chairman of the Green Party Ondřej Liška has been confirmed in the post at a Green Party conference, defeating two other contenders by a large margin. While the new Green Party leadership believes it now has enough support to curb internal infighting and address waning voter support, leading the party to success in the next elections will be an uphill struggle.