Eurosceptic Klaus now occupies key position

CZECH GOVERNMENT COLLAPSE:CZECH PRIME minister Mirek Topolanek is expected to resign today, leaving Prague's long-awaited decisions on the EU's Lisbon Treaty and a controversial US missile defence radar hanging in the balance, and with the economic crisis tightening its grip.

Mr Topolanek’s office said he would submit his resignation to President Vaclav Klaus this afternoon, two days after his centre-right government lost a confidence vote in parliament following the defection of members of his Civic Democrat (ODS) party.

The government is expected to remain in power until after the Czech presidency of the EU ends on June 30th, but the way ahead is uncertain and places great responsibility on Mr Klaus, who is a strident critic of many EU projects, including the Lisbon Treaty. It is Mr Klaus who will decide, without any time limit, on a candidate for prime minister, who must then seek approval from parliament.

Mr Topolanek insisted yesterday that he should be given a chance to form a new government, but the opposition Social Democrats immediately said that they would not accept him, and urged Mr Klaus to find another candidate.

The opposition wants a non-party “cabinet of experts” to guide the country to early elections in the autumn or early next year, but the ODS rejects that option, and would prefer a snap poll to be held this summer if it is not to be given another chance to govern.

With parliament split almost down the middle between right- and left-leaning parties, consensus appears almost impossible to reach, raising the possibility that the current lame-duck government could remain in office for several months, shorn of authority and unable to provide leadership on key issues such as the Lisbon Treaty or measures to combat the economic downturn.

“It will be a war of nerves between Topolanek, Klaus and Paroubek about who will get the right to create the next government,” said Jan Kubacek, political science lecturer at Charles University in Prague. “Both parties will likely be able to agree on early elections in autumn.”

The fate of the Lisbon Treaty is even less clear, however. The lower house of parliament has approved the treaty and passed it to the upper house, where Eurosceptic ODS senators hold sway.

While Mr Topolanek was in power they reluctantly toed his line and tempered their criticism of Lisbon, leaving Mr Klaus to rhetorically rip it to shreds.

Now, however, analysts believe they will feel no obligation to obey the ousted premier and will move closer to Mr Klaus’s scornful stance on the matter. The senate was expected to vote on the treaty next month, but it is not clear whether the timetable will survive the current uncertainty.

“The ratification process is on track . . . but it will be a lot more difficult now to convince people to vote in favour,” deputy prime minister Alexandr Vondra admitted yesterday. “The current developments complicate the situation. But it is of great interest for the Czech Republic to ratify Lisbon.”

European Commission president José Manuel Barroso urged “all Czech leaders, including the opposition, not to hold the treaty hostage to domestic politics”.

The government’s defeat is also likely to derail ratification of a plan to build a US missile defence radar near Prague, which is staunchly opposed by the opposition, and it could hamper Czech efforts to counter mounting economic problems.

Along with neighbouring Poland and Slovakia, the Czech Republic has fared relatively well during the global downturn, but growth is slowing rapidly as major export markets such as Germany shrink, and unemployment is expected to rise through the year.