Czech coalition implodes

The Czech Republic’s three-party coalition agreed to break up as of 27 Apr., risking early elections that would likely see a radical swing to the left, Reuters reported.

The centre-right alliance between the Civic Democrats (ODS), TOP 09, and Public Affairs (VV) came to a precipitous end after a leading figure in the junior coalition partner VV, Vit Barta, was convicted for bribing party colleagues for their support.

When TVR went to press, Prime Minister Petr Nečas was hoping to find enough backing from defected VV deputies to hold on to a majority in the parliament and avoid an early election just two years after taking office.

Polls indicate that an early election would see a victory for the Social Democrats, who have pledged to reverse the government’s austerity measures, which brought over 90,000 protesters to the streets of Prague on 21 Apr.