Interior Minister: better the government falls than negotiate rebel MP’s support

In the course of the same interview, Interior Minister Ivan Langer said that he would rather the government falls at the next no-confidence vote than negotiate with rebel Civic Democrat MP Vlastimil Tlustý to gain his support. The opposition Social Democrats have said that they will call a confidence vote in the government after this autumn’s regional elections. The confidence vote comes in the wake of a blackmailing scandal – which erupted when Mr Tlustý posed for a set of seemingly compromising photos as part of a media sting. One Civic Democrat MP has resigned over his role in the scandal and party leader Mirek Topolánek has said that he will step down from his post if the party doesn’t clean up its act. On Sunday, Ivan Langer said it would be hypocritical of the Civic Democratic Party to condemn Mr Tlustý’s role in the affair and at the same time call upon him to support the party.