Greens will go to polls in October without Bursík

The former leader of the Green Party and environment minister, Martin Bursík, has confirmed he does not intend to return to politics. Defying expectations he would be announce his candidacy in autumn elections on Sunday, Mr Bursík instead announced he plans to devote himself to environmental issues outside of politics. In Mr Bursík’s absence, a convention of the Green Party in Prague nominated councilman Petr Štěpánek to top the ballot for the city in the October poll. After five years as Green Party chairman, Mr Bursík resigned the position in June this year after the party’s poor showing in elections to the European Parliament.