Social Democrat head praises success in budget debate

The head of the Social Democratic Party, Jiří Paroubek, praised its performance in pushing through changes to the 2010 budget. Speaking after a meeting of party leaders on Saturday, he said the changes resulted in more social justice. The Social Democrats, Communists and a few independent deputies voted through fresh spending of around 12 billion crowns in a budget debate on Wednesday. Most of it was aimed at boosting the wages of civil servants, teachers and other public workers and boosting farmers‘ income.

The budget changes have had major reverberations. The finance minister Eduard Janota says he will decide whether to stay on in government on Monday. Meanwhile, the right wing Civic Democrats have said the caretaker government of Prime Minister Jan Fischer should consider whether it should continue in office and whether the Social Democratic nominees should be allowed to stay in the cabinet.

Separately, Mr Paroubek said he had still to be furnished with proof that party members were being recruited locally on the back of incentives such as meals or trips in luxury cars. But he said the party was looking to tighten up its membership rules, perhaps with a delay before party membership takes effect.