Prague - The first coalition party in the Czech Republic has joined the opposition Social Democrats (ČSSD), voicing their eagerness to have a clear date for the country joining the euro zone.

At the leadership congress, the Christian Democratic Union (KDU-ČSL), a junior governing party, voted Tuesday that they would push PM Topolánek's cabinet to come up with a clear date.

"Christian Democratic leadership demands that the government set a deadline for adopting the euro and Czech Republic's joining the euro zone by May 31, 2009," is the resolution of the Christian Democrats.

As a smaller coalition partner KDU-ČSL of Civic Democrats that have not been so eager to press the euro adoption thus joined the opposition. ČSSD is willing to conclude a contract on tolerance of the government during the Czech EU presidency for having a specific date of the euro adoption.

The Christian Democrats and Social Democrats share one more thing; both parties wanted to approve the Lisbon Treaty by the end of this year. The Green Party was of the same view.

But at an extraordinary session last week, the Chamber of Deputies adjourned the issue of the Treaty of Lisbon until beginning of February 2009.

Hot topic

With the financial turmoil seizing the European continent, joining the single currency zone becomes increasingly a hot topic.

Denmark and Sweden, countries that have kept their currency, have reported a sharp decline of their currencies against the euro. Danish PM Anders Fogh Rasmussen even said that "being outside the euro zone during the financial crisis is detrimental to the economy", and he wants a referendum by 2011, as reported by the British weekly magazine Economist.

Of eastern European EU member states, Slovenia has already adopted the euro, while Slovakia will do so in just a few days.