Mladà Fronta DNES, 16 September, 2009

Wild west politicking rocks Czech Republic

Published on 16 September 2009 at 13:06
Mladà Fronta DNES, 16 September, 2009

Cover

What's new in the Czech Republic, or "Frontier Land" as it is dubbed in the MF DNES headline? Early general elections slated for 9 and 10 October, which were a source of tension between parliament and the country's constitutional court, have suddenly been cancelled. The perpetrator of this latest escalation in the political crisis, which was triggered by the overthrow of the government in the middle of the Czech presidency of the EU in April, is Jiří Paroubek. On 15 September, the leader of the social-democrat opposition blocked the adoption of a law to authorise the dissolution of parliament — an initiative that MF DNES describes as a "political backflip." Until now, Paroubek was adamant that an early general election was "in the country's best interest." In protest against the manoeuvre, former prime minister Mirek Topolánek has resigned from his position as member of parliament. "It is time for this country to move on from the likes of Paroubek and Topolánek," remarks DNES, which further adds that Czech voters will probably not go to the polls until June 2010.

Tags

Was this article useful? If so we are delighted!

It is freely available because we believe that the right to free and independent information is essential for democracy. But this right is not guaranteed forever, and independence comes at a cost. We need your support in order to continue publishing independent, multilingual news for all Europeans.

Discover our subscription offers and their exclusive benefits and become a member of our community now!

Are you a news organisation, a business, an association or a foundation? Check out our bespoke editorial and translation services.

Support independent European journalism

European democracy needs independent media. Join our community!

On the same topic