New Czech Government May Be Short-Lived

The political scene in the Czech Republic has been deadlocked since June elections split the left-right parliamentary divide straight down the middle, with 100 seats each.

A new conservative cabinet was finally appointed Monday by President Vaclav Klaus, who said the new government guaranteed that the Czech Republic's direction would stay the same.

Indeed, recent instability is expected to remain as the hallmark of Czech politics in the foreseeable future.

Vote of confidence by Oct. 4

Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek's Civic Democratic Party won the June elections on a platform that promised higher employment, renewed privatization efforts and less state involvement.

They had hoped to form a right-wing coalition with the Christian Democratic Party and the right-of-center Green Party, but came up one vote short of a majority.

The constitution stipulates that, lacking a clear majority, Topolanek has 30 days to call for a vote of confidence. His party is widely expected to lose the vote, which could lead to early elections.

Rival prime ministers

Topolanek's biggest rival is former Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek, who was voted out in June. Allegations that Paroubek had connections to organized crime, which came days before the parliamentary elections, have left him seething.

Paroubek, the Social Democratic Party leader, has since been unwilling to negotiate with the right-wing parties on creating a new coalition government. He has said that he can imagine a coalition between his left-wing party and Topolanek's Civic Democratic Party -- but without Topolanek as prime minister.

The Social Democrats, which had headed the Czech government for eight years, privatized the banking sector and oversaw the country's accession to both NATO and the European Union.

Corruption allegations tarnished the party's reputation and allowed the Civic Democrats to prevail in June.

With only 14 members, the new cabinet is the smallest in the country's history.