Svoboda steps down as leader of Christian Democrats

The head of the Christian Democratic Party – which failed to make it into the Chamber of Deputies in last week’s elections - officially stepped down as party leader on Sunday, despite the fact originally he indicated he would do so only at the Christian Democrats’ next party conference, when a new leader will be chosen. An exact date for the convention has not been decided yet, but some members are favouring a date in June. Until then, the party will be led by deputy leader Michaela Šojdrová. The Christian Democrats are one of the oldest parties in the Czech Republic and had been in the lower house for 91 years. However, they had suffered a long-term drop in voter preference and in last week’s general election received only 4.4 percent of the vote, short of the critical five percent needed to make it into the Chamber. The party still has four representatives in the Senate.

Author: Jan Velinger