Mares elected leader of Freedom Union at party conference

Petr Mares has been elected leader of the Freedom Union, the smallest of three parties in the governing coalition, at a party conference in Brno. In another vote at the Freedom Union conference on Sunday, the overwhelming majority of delegates voted to remain in the coalition with the Social Democrats and the Christian Democrats formed after elections in June last year. Only seven delegates out of around 400 voted for a resolution to quit the government after a forthcoming referendum on joining the European Union.