Czechs close to creating 'government of experts'

MIREK TOPOLANEK dropped his demand to be reappointed as the Czech Republic’s prime minister yesterday, as the country’s main parties moved closer to creating a non-aligned “government of experts” which would lead it to early elections in the autumn.

Mr Topolanek’s centre-right cabinet was voted out of office by the lower house of parliament last week, plunging the Czech Republic into political uncertainty during its term as president of the European Union and in the run-up to a crucial upper-house ballot on the European Union’s Lisbon Treaty.

The leader of the Civic Democrats had called on President Vaclav Klaus to nominate him to serve as premier again, but finally conceded that any new cabinet led by him could not secure the necessary majority in a parliament that is evenly split between left- and right-wingers.

“In the name of reaching wide political consensus, we are ready for the creation of a cabinet of non-partisans, with the support of all democratic parties,” Mr Topolanek said after talks between the Civic Democrats and the opposition Social Democrats led by Jiri Paroubek.

Mr Paroubek said the parties could reach a deal on a new government by the end of this week, and had already agreed on the need for early elections before October 20th.

Neither Mr Paroubek nor Mr Topolanek suggested a future leader for a government of experts.

The absence of an authoritative premier increases the influence of Mr Klaus, who is one of the most voluble and scathing critics of the Lisbon Treaty, and whose allies in the strongly Eurosceptic wing of the Civic Democrats could vote down the document in the Czech senate.

It is now up to Mr Klaus to nominate a new prime minister, although the Czech constitution does not state how soon he must do this.