Council of the Civic Democratic Party meets to discuss Topolánek

The executive council of the Civic Democratic Party is meeting to discuss both the future of embattled chairman Mirek Topolánek as a party candidate and the party’s continued support for the interim government of Prime Minister Jan Fischer. Regarding the first point, Mr Topolánek said in an interview for the daily Hospodářské noviny on Thursday that he would resign if the council held a vote to remove him from the ballot. Mr Topolánek has been under heavy criticism since the weekend for awkward comments he made regarding gays and Jews. The situation has provoked a row between the party chairman and Prime Minister Jan Fischer, whose Jewish faith Mr Topolánek noted when referring to him as a submissive leader. Mr Fischer has since said he would keep his communication with Mr Topolánek to a working minimum, and his son has left the Civic Democratic Party, accusing its chairman of anti-Semitism and homophobia. Mr Topolánek in turn has reiterated that he sees Mr Fischer as a weak leader.