Mf Dnes: Social Democrats say party is not in crisis

The opposition Social Democrats have insisted they are not in trouble after taking a hit in public opinion polls over the Rath corruption case, according to a Czech daily. Mladá fronta Dnes reported on Friday that the party – which had been on the upswing for some time – had lost some support among potential voters over the Rath scandal and other developments such as initial indecision over its candidate for president or a decision by influential party member Milada Emerová to candidate for another party in the regional elections. Speaking to the daily, the Social Democrats’ Jeroným Tejc denied the party was in crisis but admitted that recent developments had forced introspection; colleague Jiří Dienstbier, the party’s candidate for president, stressed that the recent cases were not connected, while deputy leader Michal Hašek suggested that recent developments required a quick response to improve the party’s standing among some of its supporters.