UPDATE: A special meeting of the Czech coalition government on Monday 20 December evening, ahead of the no-confidence vote scheduled on Tuesday, shipwrecked after Public Affairs, the smallest coalition member, left it without any agreement being reached.
The no-confidence vote is initiated by the opposition Social Democrats in response to a serious corruption affair.
Read more: Czech govt to face no-confidence vote over corruption
The corruption affairs involves above all Civic Democratic Party (ODS), the largest government member. PM Petr Nečas, who is also the chairman of the party, is examined as a witness in the corruption case, and the party's vice-chairman Pavel Drobil was even forced to resign as the environment minister.
Public Affairs is not sure how it will vote in the motion. Importantly, the party asks for police president Oldřich Martinů to be removed from his post. On Friday 17 December, Martinů met with PM Nečas. Interior Minister and chairman of Public Affairs Radek John was not informed about the meeting.
However, PM Nečas said that he will remove the police president only if John resigns from his post as the interior minister. This was probably the main reason why Public Affairs left the meeting.
The fate of the government is thus unsure ahead of today's no-confidence vote scheduled on afternoon or evening. Two important members of ODS and TOP 09 (the third government party), speaking on the condition of anonymity, admitted that the government's chance of survival is 50:50.
Public Affairs, the government's troublemaker, is a political newbie and its success in the late-May legislative election this year was generally perceived as a shock. The party, which is still remains a "big unknown" of the Czech politics, was predicted to be the most volatile factor of the government.
Read more: After election:Czechs to become Europe's reform leaders
(This is the original article from Sunday 19 December 2010.)
Prague - The three parties that form the Czech center-right government held a special meeting on Sunday evening, ahead of the no-confidence vote to be held on Tuesday 21 December.
The no-confidence motion was initiated by the opposition Social Democrats because of a recent corruption scandal in the State Environment Fund that had forced the environment minister Pavel Drobil (ODS) to resign.
Read more: Czech govt to face no-confidence vote over corruption
The meeting showed that the Czech coalition, controlling 118 out of 200 seats in the lower chamber, is weaker than thought. While the right-wing Civic Democratic Party (ODS) of PM Petr Nečas and the conservative TOP 09 vowed to support the government, the position of the centrist Public Affairs, the smallest member of the coalition which initiated the special meeting, is not sure.
Public Affairs controls 24 seats in the lower chamber, which means that the government's majority depends on the party's support.
"The situation is very serious and needs further analysis. We need to consult it with the party's leadership and the parliamentary club," said Radek John, the chairman of Public Affairs and the Interior Minister.
The Czech government is thus going through its most serious crisis since it was created five months ago.
Read more: Czech govt loses majority in Senate. Reforms in danger
While the only direct "casualty" of the corruption scandal was Environment Minister Pavel Drobil, the affair has seriously damaged the reputation of the government that has repeatedly declared that fighting corruption is its primary goal, together with fiscal austerity.
Read more: Czech lawmakers approve 2011 budget with 4.6% deficit
In the press-conference held after the meeting, PM Nečas admitted that the affair has damaged the government's reputation, and promised that the first issue the government will discuss in 2011 will be its anti-corruption strategy. Whether this statement will be enough to convince Public Affairs to support the government on Tuesday is not sure.
Importantly, Public Affairs asks for police president Oldřich Martinů to be removed from his post. On Friday 17 December, Martinů met with PM Nečas, who is examined as a witness in the corruption case. Interior Minister (and the chairman of Public Affairs) Radek John was not informed about the meeting.
At the same time, the ODS points out that Radek John knew about the corruption affair in the State Environment Fund before the PM did. Radek John admitted that he met with Libor Michálek, the ex-director of the fund, in the summer. John, an ex-journalist, told Michálek to tell about his suspicions to his former colleagues in the Czech media, instead of police.
"The fate of the police president is not decided yet," said PM Nečas.
