Gross meets diplomat tipped to replace him as prime minister

Prime Minister Stanislav Gross has held talks with Jan Kohout, the Czech ambassador to the European Union. The latter said after Friday's meeting that the two men had discussed the possibility of Mr Kohout, a career diplomat, replacing Mr Gross as prime minister.

On Thursday the prime minister said he would step aside to allow a new government of his Social Democrats, the Christian Democrats and the Freedom Union to form under a different leader.

Mr Gross has been under pressure for some months over a scandal involving his family's finances, and his government is hanging by a thread, with several ministers having resigned and more threatening to follow.