Government survives opposition-tabled vote of no confidence

Vladimir Spidla's centre-left coalition has, as expected, survived a vote of no confidence tabled by the opposition Civic Democrats. All but one of the government's 101 deputies voted against the motion in Friday's vote, with rebel Social Democrat Josef Hojdar, who is opposed to planned financial reforms, abstaining. Prime Minister Spidla faces perhaps a sterner test in voting on those reforms, which he wants parliament to approve by Tuesday. The reforms are designed to reverse a record budget deficit and qualify the Czech Republic for the euro currency by 2010. The country is to join the European Union next May.