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The Prime Minister and leader of the Social Democrats, Vladimir Spidla, is attempting to form a two-party minority coalition government with the Christian Democrats, after a coalition of the two parties and the right of centre Freedom Union collapsed on Friday. Freedom Union MP Hana Marvanova brought about the crisis, when she voted against a government tax bill aimed at raising money to cover the costs of the recent floods. The bill was defeated by one vote. Mr Spidla said that the three-party coalition could only continue if Mrs Marvanova gave up her seat in the Chamber of Deputies, which she refused to do. On Saturday the prime minister said he would probably announce ministers to replace the three outgoing Freedom Union members of the cabinet on Monday.

The three party coalition had been formed after elections in June and had a majority of one in the lower house. The Christian Democrats have said they would prefer to reach an agreement with the Freedom Union, under which the latter party would support a minority Social Democrat-Christian Democrat government. Meanwhile, Communist Party deputy chairman Miloslav Ransdorf said his party would support such a government on condition that it placed an emphasis on social policy and economic growth.

The prime minister, Social Democrat leader Vladimir Spidla, has proposed forming a minority coalition government with the Christian Democrats, the Christian Democrats' Milan Simonovsky said on Friday, after a member of the other party in the current three-party majority coalition, the Freedom Union, voted against a government tax bill. The Freedom Union's Hana Marvanova voted with opposition parties against the bill, which was defeated by one vote. The package of tax reforms was intended to raise 10 billion Czech crowns to help deal with the devastation caused by August's floods, estimated to be up to 90 billion crowns.

The Communist Party would be prepared to support a minority Social Democrat-Christian Democrat government, the Communist leader Miroslav Grebenicek said after meeting Prime Minister Spidla. Mr Grebenicek said the Communist Party would not push for membership of the government.

Prague's public transport authority has released a statement defending its actions during last month's catastrophic flooding in the capital, saying that the Prague metro was closed in time, in accordance with flood measures. The authority has also indicated that anti-flood barriers, based on set standards and norms, were in place but simply ineffective against the record-high waters. A transport authority spokeswoman said on Thursday that an earlier closure of the metro system would have changed little in the outcome; she indicated that, on the contrary, an earlier closure of the metro would have complicated the evacuation of Prague residents from heavily flooded areas.