The politicians addressed by CTK pointed to the need of the reforms the governing parties have pledged to implement. They were reacting to Topolanek's statement in the daily Mlada fronta Dnes (MfD) Czech Communists to back CSSD's no confidence vote proposal ...
Cunek returns to govt after settling dispute with ForMin - PM ... today that the coalition is threatened and the government might fall this autumn unless the coalition confirms its majority in the Chamber of Deputies by then. Topolanek also said he would have to quit if his government's reform efforts were paralysed. He reacted to the emergence of rebels among all coalition parties' deputies, who threaten to block the government's crucial projects. ODS deputy chairman Pavel Bem told CTK he is more moderate in his assessment of the developments. "The situation is serious but not desperate," Bem said, adding that the government must not lose its reform ethos. Roman Linek, deputy head of the junior governing Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL), emphasised the need of reforms the government had pledged to implement in its policy statement. "I hope the emotions will ebb and it will be possible to push through the essence of what is embedded in the government policy statement," Linek said. For the sake of successful Czech EU presidency it is impossible to fundamentally change the Czech government now that a few weeks or months are left before the presidency starts in January 2009, Linek said. Ondrej Liska, education minister and deputy head of the junior ruling Green Party (SZ), said he agrees with Topolanek's words that a government that is unable to implement its programme is illegitimate. If this happened, time would come for a different government to be negotiated upon or new elections to be called, Liska said. Nevertheless, he said in his opinion the coalition parties could succeed in renewing their majority in parliament for the sake of the reforms. Petr Vicha, deputy chairman of the senior opposition Social Democrats (CSSD), said the coalition is very fragile now and split on many topics, but the government finally will not fall as the KDU-CSL and the SZ will go back on their programme principles. Last year the three-party government, in power since January 2007, pushed through the first part of the public finance reform, including profound changes in the tax, health care and social benefit systems. By the end of its term in 2010 it wants to implement a police reform, and further steps within the tax and health care reforms.
The last mentioned theme has rocked the coalition in the past months. Another sensitive point is the U.S. plan to install a missile defence radar base in the Czech Republic, a project splitting mainly the Greens. In the interview with MfD Topolanek asserted that there are about 15 deputies among the CSSD lawmakers who, unlike the rest of the CSSD, consider the U.S. radar a good idea. The question is, nevertheless, how many of them will have enough courage to support the relevant Czech-U.S. treaties in parliament, Topolanek said. He said he expects the parliament to vote on the treaties after the autumn regional elections. Topolanek said he wants to meet individual ministers separately this month to discuss their work and possible changes, but he has no ambition to sack or replace anyone. In this connection he called nonsensical the media speculations about the allegedly planned replacement of Health Minister Tomas Julinek (ODS), whose reforms, both implemented and planned, he backed. "On the contrary, Julinek's position is immensely firm," Topolanek said.
(Ceske Noviny)
more info >>
<< Back