As the Czech Republic prepares to take over the EU’s rotating presidency in January, Jiri Paroubek, the former prime minister and leader of the opposition Social Democrats, said voters had “opted for change” and called Mr Topolanek’s grip on power “unacceptable” given the Civic Democratic Party’s staggering losses.
“If I were in [his] position, I would leave of my own accord,” Mr Paroubek told Czech television, and suggested that a competent “cabinet of experts” take over to run Prague’s six-month tenure of the European Union.
The Social Democrats, who won 280 of 675 regional councillor seats, are expected to introduce a censure motion against Mr Topolanek’s government on Wednesday. The party expects to make further gains in senatorial elections set for Oct 24-25, in which one-third of the 81 seats are up for grabs.
The Civic Democratic Party took just 180 councillor seats in an election that saw about 40 per cent voter turnout, and marks a potentially sharp political shift for the central European nation.
After two rocky years in office, Mr Topolanek, who governs a fragile coalition with the Green Party and the Christian and Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People’s Party, has been dogged by opposition to a health care reform plan intended to transfer increasing medical costs on to patients.
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Even more politically explosive has been his support for a controversial US radar missile system to be built in Brdy, 55 miles southwest of the capital, which more than two-thirds of the population has consistently rejected.
Depending how much support the Social Democrats can shore up in this weekend’s second round of voting, the radar base initiative may fall flat. Similarly, a voter turnaround might signal the end of Prague’s opposition to the Lisbon treaty, which has needled lawmakers in Brussels.
Whereas the Social Democrats claimed enough votes to make it to the second round in 25 of 26 constituencies, Mr Topolanek’s ODS party will be on the ballot in only 20.
“It appears that the ODS is pretty close to a regional Armageddon,” said Prague mayor and deputy party leader Pavel Bem.