As expected, CSSD’s candidate Miloslav Vlcek, was elected as the Speak of the Lowe House yesterday with a limited mandate; i.e. Vlcek would step down should the first two attempts to form a Government fail. Note that the President names the person to form a Government for the 3rd time on the recommendation of the Speaker. This opens way for the President to ask ODS leader, Mirek Topolanek to form a new Government, which has then 30 days to ask for the vote of confidence in the Lower House. The current Government led by CSSD’s leader Jiri Paroubek may step down today or tomorrow.
Our view: Despite the significant progress in the Lower House, the political situation is not really getting clearer as the CSSD’s leader Jiri Paroubek suggested that CSSD may not tolerate ODS’s minority Government as the two parties struggle to agree on Ministerial posts filled by independent candidates and some program issues. We also remind that the President indicated that he may ask Jiri Paroubek to form a Government should ODS’s leader Mirek Topolanek fail, which is what Paroubek is ultimately seeking. The ambition can be supported also by the fact that the Communists leader Vojech Filip was elected deputy-chair in the Lower House by 101 votes; i.e. some from the centre-right voted for him. In addition, Paroubek also hinted that the eventual ODS minority Government may be limited to two years only suggesting early elections in 2008.