Hašek says Social Democrats have to change, build up coalition potential

The governor of south Moravia Michal Hašek, a candidate to head the Social Democrats, has told news website idnes that the party will have to build up its coalition potential, if it is to be successful in the future. He suggested it was not possible to continue with an antagonistic approach that had been used in the past. Many pundits attribute the Social Democrats weak victory in the national election last year, which sidelined them from forming the next government, to the combative style of its former leader Jiří Paroubek.

Asked whether the Communist Party was a viable coalition partner, Mr Hašek said it was not with regards to its current makeup and policies. On Saturday, the governor received backing from a majority of Prague delegates over fellow candidate and acting party leader Bohuslav Sobotka. The next Social Democrat chairman will be decided at the party’s leadership conference in March.