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Current AffairsCivic Democrats replace besieged election leader

In a desperate attempt to boost their chances in the upcoming elections, the centre-right Civic Democrats on Thursday replaced their election leader. In a heated five hour debate the party leadership forced former prime minister and party chair Mirek Topolánek to resign from the position, replacing him with deputy-chairman Petr Nečas. Mr Topolánek, whose awkward comments on gays and Jews last weekend triggered the change-of-guard, remains party chairman.  More

Current AffairsAnalyst: Topolánek’s failure to resign as party leader likely to cause further problems for Civic Democrats

The Civic Democrats’ Mirek Topolánek has bowed to pressure from within his own party and agreed to step down as election leader two months before the Czechs go to the polls. The job has now been filled by deputy chairman Petr Nečas. More importantly, Mr Topolánek declined to give up his post of party leader - creating an unusual precedent. Many observers suggest that the compromise decision will only increase the party’s current woes and could help lead the Civic Democrats to defeat against their closest rivals in May.  More

Current AffairsTopolánek resists pressure to step down as head of Civic Democrats

The head of the Civic Democratic Party, Mirek Topolánek, has resisted intense pressure from his own party to step down, in the wake of controversial remarks made during an interview for a Czech gay magazine. In the interview, he referred disparagingly to both the Church and voters of the Social Democrats and singled out the transport minister as gay and the prime minister as Jewish. His comments caused an uproar that culminated in almost 12 hours of deliberations by top party leaders on Tuesday, most of whom wanted him to go. But Mr Topolánek stuck to his guns. More

NewsTopolánek resists pressure and hangs on as leader of Civic Democrats

Current AffairsCivic Democrat leader’s political future hangs in balance

Leaders of the centre-right Civic Democratic party met for more than seven hours on Tuesday to discuss the future of party leader Mirek Topolánek, following an uproar over comments he made in a recent interview for a Czech gay magazine, in which he referred disparagingly to the Church, voters of a rival party, and members of the current government. Since the news broke several highly-placed members of his own party including the chairman of the Senate have called for him to quit, even though the country is just two months away from a national election.  More

NewsSenate head calls for ODS leader to consider stepping down

Current AffairsCivic Democrat chairman causes uproar over remarks about gays, Jews, Church

The chairman of the Civic Democratic Party, Mirek Topolánek, is in hot water over an interview he gave to a gay magazine. It included controversial statements about two members of the government, as well as the suggestion that the Church had made idiots of the masses. Mr Topolánek later apologised, but has come in for some criticism – including from inside his own party. More

NewsTopolánek apologises to gays and Jews after controversial comments about Slamečka and Fischer

NewsPM to keep communication with Topolánek to minimum after comments

NewsTopolánek angered by publication of off the record comments about the Church