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Current AffairsComments by PM's aide complicate negotiations
After what initially appeared to be a breakthrough in government
negotiations last week, politicians in the Czech Republic are back at
square one. On Sunday the Social Democrats led by Jiri Paroubek rejected a
proposal by Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek to join a four-party coalition
that would have run the country until 2008. The party rejected the deal on
the grounds that a year-an-a-half or so in office was simply too short.
Trust, or lack of it, may also have played a part, after it came to light
that a close aide to the prime minister had made disparaging comments
about the Social Democrats and their chances in being in the next
government.
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Current AffairsCivic Democrat leader gets green light for coalition talks
Civic Democratic party leader Mirek Topolanek was re-elected for another
two-year term at the party's national conference over the weekend and
received a strong mandate to form a broad coalition government with a
limited term in office. Political analysts say Mr. Topolanek's personal
victory may resolve the country's drawn out political crisis.
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Current AffairsGovernment talks evoke restrained optimism
It appears the Civic Democrats and the Social Democrats are close to
agreeing a deal that would see them divide up power in a new government.
The former are no longer insisting on early elections, the latter say they
would now tolerate the presence of smaller parties in the cabinet. But had
the two big players really, all along, expected to end up governing
together? And were the last five months of negotiations and break-downs
all for show? That's a question that Daniela Lazarova put to analyst Petr
Just.
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Current AffairsPM drop idea of early elections in favour of trying to form stable government
The second round of talks on forming a new government since parliamentary
elections ended in stalemate half a year ago, saw unexpected developments
on Monday when Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek announced his party was
dropping a demand for early elections next year. Until now, the
right-of-centre Civic Democrats, who won the election in June but where
unable to secure a governing majority, had pushed for early elections as
the only viable option. Why the reversal in position? More
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