31 parties registered for European Parliament elections

The Interior Ministry has registered 31 political parties preparing to vie for 24 possible seats in upcoming elections to the European Parliament in June. The Interior Ministry made the announcement through its website Saturday evening, noting that only one party had been denied: the so-called "Coalition for the European Restoration of the Death Sentence and True European Democracy". The party can appeal the decision in court. Other parties registered include all mainstream political parties in the Czech Parliament, as well as established non-parliamentary parties like the European Democrats and the Greens.

Meanwhile the party founded by highly-controversial businessman Viktor Kozeny, the so-called Civic Federal Democracy, has also successfully registered for the upcoming elections. Mr Kozeny is the former Czech financier wanted on criminal charges in both the Czech Republic and the U.S..