Civic Democrats announce planned reforms

The leading Civic Democratic candidate for the post of minister of finance, Vlastimil Tlusty, has announced that in addition to early elections, his party intends to prepare several reform proposals. The Civic Democrats plan to present concrete pension and tax reform proposals to the other parties during negotiations over support for a Civic Democratic minority cabinet. Mr. Tlusty told reporters that the other parties will likely "ruin everything" but that the Civic Democrats must try to gain support for the reforms.

Meanwhile, the Social Democrat leader and outgoing Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek says that he expects to be entrusted with the task of forming a new government in October, since he does not believe that a minority Civic Democrat government can win a confidence vote in the lower house. Mr. Paroubek told reporters that in the coming weeks his party will stay in opposition, prepare for local and Senate elections and refrain from any negotiations on a future government.