Top Story President Václav Klaus has appointed Jan Fischer as prime minister
Czech President Václav Klaus appointed Jan Fischer as the country’s new prime minister during a brief ceremony on Thursday afternoon. Mr Klaus said he was pleased the country’s two main political parties had agreed a solution to the political crisis and looked forward to receiving cabinet nominations as soon as possible so that a functioning government could be in place.
Jan Fischer and Václav Klaus, photo: CTK
Mr Fischer should become the non-partisan leader of a caretaker government
from May 9 until early elections in October. His appointment has been paved
by a deal between the country’s two biggest political parties, the
centre-right Civic Democrats and the opposition Social Democrats. They have
enough votes in the lower house of Parliament to guarantee Fischer’s
government of experts sufficient support in a confidence vote and pilot the
country to early elections. Mr Fischer has been head of the country’s
statistical office and says he will return to the post. The caretaker
government faces completing the Czech six-month EU presidency, putting in
place measures to counter the economic crisis and preparing a budget for
the following year.
