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The Czech Chamber of Deputies has passed a reading of a constitutional bill which would bring about early elections in the Czech Republic. The bill proposes that early elections take place in this country on October 10 at the latest. On Tuesday, it was sent to a final reading, the final vote on the matter is expected to take place next week. The bill in questions sets out deadlines for calling and organizing elections. Under the proposal, August 26 will be the latest date at which a general election can be called. The bill was voted for by 151 of the 175 deputies present, the rest abstained.

One of the country’s best known TV journalists was fired on Monday after posting a video on his blog making light of the swine flu outbreak that has killed 26 people. Jiří Dlabaja, who worked for the country’s most-watched television station Nova, is pictured asking five of his colleagues what stories they are working on. Each one grimaces and makes pig-like noises, including Dlabaja himself. The station’s director, Petr Dvořák, described the incident as a serious lapse in standards, as the video spread out over the internet. Mr Dvořák said his station had decided to crack down as the footage was shot ‘during working hours and in the newsroom’.

Two thirds of young Czechs, aging from 12-24, praise the country’s accession to the European Union in 2004 as having been a ‘good thing’, an international poll conducted by the GfK agency suggests. According to the study, young Slovaks are even more enthusiastic about their country’s EU membership, with three quarters saying that joining the bloc was the right thing to do. The Austrian study found that 56 percent of young Austrians were for their country’s EU membership. The poll also found that young Slovaks were the most willing in central Europe to work abroad. Some 84 percent of Slovaks said they would consider moving abroad to work, while 73 percent of Czechs said they would consider a stint working in a foreign country.

Talks on the composition of Jan Fischer’s caretaker cabinet are back on track, with political leaders saying the prime minister designate has their full support. Representatives of the Civic Democrats, Social Democrats and the Greens have put forward fresh candidates for the ministerial posts that remain to be filled. There is general agreement that the new cabinet line up should be ready by May 8, when president Klaus is expected to appoint the new caretaker government.

Mr. Fischer said the main goal of his administration would be to successfully finish the country’s EU presidency and to draft the 2010 state budget, keeping the budget deficit below 150 billion crowns. He said he would require restraint in all budget chapters and seek a reasonable compromise between the proposals of the current governing coalition and the opposition. The National Economic Council, set up as an advisory body to the Topolánek cabinet, will continue to work for the new prime minister.