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President-elect calls for early general election

President-elect Miloš Zeman has called for an early general election to replace the current unpopular government. In an interview for Czech TV just hours after his election to head of state, Mr Zeman said the cabinet of PM Petr Nečas was only supported by 8 percent of Czechs. One of the coalition parties, LIDEM, did not win its mandate in a popular vote, according to the president-elect, and therefore the entire government did not come out from free elections. The call was rejected by leaders of the coalition Civic Democrat and TOP 09 parties who said the government was responsible to Parliament’s lower house, and not the president.

Miloš Zeman, a former Social Democrat prime minister, became the first Czech president elected in a popular vote after he beat Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg in the election’s second round on Saturday.

New president to seek support for economic incentives, new legislation

In related news, Mr Zeman said he would approach political parties represented in the Czech Parliament for support for several issues including incentives and investments for the economy, new legislation on financial disclosures, and changes to the voting system in local elections. In an TV interview on Sunday, the president-elect said financial disclosure and the duty to prove the origin of property would be crucial for efforts to curb corruption; the voting system in local elections should enable people to choose candidates on different ballots, according to Mr Zeman.

Constitutional Court’s Chief Justice would accept Zeman’s nomination

The chief justice of the Czech Constitutional Court, Pavel Rychetský said he would accept the president-elect’s nomination for another 4 years in the post. Mr Rychetský’s ten-year term expires in August. Mr Zeman said earlier he would consider appointing Mr Rychetský, who served in Mr Zeman’s government as justice minister, for another term. The terms of three of the top court’s 15 judges expire on Monday, and another 10 will leave the court later this year.

Air pollution deteriorates in north-east

Air pollution in the northeastern Moravian-Silesian region has deteriorated, with dust exceeding the permitted levels at all measuring stations in the region, the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute said on Sunday. Smog alert for the area, declared by meteorologists last week, continues to be in place. The conditions are expected to improve next week.

In the Shadow wins critics‘ award for best film of 2012

The film Ve stínu (In the Shadow) by director David Ondříček has won the film critics’ awards for best movie of 2012. The film, a dark detective story set in the 1950s, won in another four categories including best director, photography, music and best male actor in leading role. The prize for best documentary was awarded to the film Láska v hrobě (Love in the Grave) by David Vondráček about a pair of homeless people living in one of Prague’s cemeteries. The third annual Film Critics’s award were handed out at a ceremony in the Archa Theatre in the capital on Saturday night.

Tennis: Czech pair loses mixed doubles final at Australian Open

Czech tennis players Lucie Hradecká and František Čermák have failed to win the mixed doubles title at the Australian Open after they lost to Australia’s Jarmila Gajdošová and Matthew Ebden 3-6, 7-5 in the final on Sunday. Lucie Hradecká said they had several opportunities to change the play but missed them, while the 37-year-old Čermák said reaching the final itself was a success for him.

Injured Štěpánek to miss Davis Cup’s first round

Czech Davis Cu champion Radek Štěpánek is set to undergo operation to treat persisting problems with his back, and will miss the first round of the competition in which the Czech team faces Switzerland next weekend, the team’s captain Jaroslav Navrátil said on Sunday. To replaced the injured player, the captain nominated Ivo Minář, ranked 189th in the world, to play alongside Tomáš Berdych, Lukáš Rosol and Jiří Veselý.

Weather

The start of the week should be mostly overcast with snow and daytime highs ranging between -5 and -1 degrees Celsius.