Communist party aim tough talk at coalition

The country’s Communist Party has said it will not back the next coalition government of the Civic Democrats, TOP 09 and Public Affairs when a confidence vote is held. Senior party officials met on Friday to work out a position and came out critically against the centre-right coalition, sparing no rhetoric. The party also urged its own supporters to organise demonstrations against planned measures. The coalition being negotiated by Prime Minister Petr Nečas has promised to push through tough austerity measures, which is the platform on which it was elected. Together the three parties hold 118 seats in the 200-member lower house, meaning a confidence vote will be passed easily without Communist support. On Friday, the newly-elected speaker of the lower house Miroslava Němcová suggested the vote could take place on August 10.

Author: Jan Velinger