Coaltion heads meet to try and agree on successor

Negotiations between the three parties in the ruling coalition, meanwhile, continued briefly Sunday night to discuss who might replace the outgoing premier, capable of also receiving backing from the country’s president, Miloš Zeman. Under the Czech Constitution, Mr Nečas’ reisgnation will mark the end of the current government and the president will be under no obligation to respect proposals from the coalition; in the wake of the resignation he could name his own candidate to head an interim government.

Outgoing Prime Minister Petr Nečas said on Sunday that he believed the current coaltion could still put together a majority in the lower house and he expressed the conviction that the president - as a democrat - would respect the balance of power in the Chamber of Deputies.