Interior minister: ultra-right National Party may be dissolved

Interior Minister Ivan Langer has suggested that the ultra-right National Party could be dissolved in the future if it breaches the law. He made the comments in a Czech TV broadcast on Sunday, saying the non-parliamentary extremist party knew how to manoeuvre on the edge of legislation and was careful not to go over the limits. The interior minister was reacting to attacks by 150 activists from the party and other far-right groups against gays in Brno on Saturday, in which some threw fire crackers at participants and an unknown perpetrator threw a tear gas grenade into a crowd. Preaching "law and order," National Party followers have adopted an aggressive stance against foreigners and Romanies. The opposition has criticised Mr Langer for not taking sufficient steps.

Author: Jan Velinger