News

Ruling coalition MPs blocked an extraordinary lower house session on Friday morning which was to discuss the case of deputy Prime Minister and Christian Democrat chairman Jiri Cunek. As a result, the opposition Social Democrats have initiated a vote of no confidence on Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek's government to be held next Wednesday. Deputy Prime Minister Jiri Cunek has been under investigation for several months now over allegations he accepted a bribe of five hundred thousand crowns when he was mayor of the Moravian town of Vsetin. The Social Democrats first considered holding a vote of no confidence last week when the prosecutor in Mr Cunek's case was replaced. The opposition accused the government of trying to manipulate proceedings.

Jiri Paroubek, the leader of the country's largest opposition party the Social Democrats, has expressed the conviction that the current ruling coalition will fall within the next three months. On Friday he told the CTK news agency that the country could see early elections in roughly one year's time. The Social Democrats have called a no confidence vote for next week which the government is expected to survive. The opposition can count on only 98 out of 200 votes. The ruling coalition has itself staked its future on the success of its proposed fiscal reforms.

Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek has stressed that the integration of the West Balkans within the European Union is a process that needs to continue; he made the statement after meeting EU Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security Franco Frattini. The prime minister said that he expected final accession talks with the EU and Croatia would take place during the Czech EU presidency in 2009. Croatia first began accession talks with the EU in October 2005. Earlier this week, Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg met with his Croatian counterpart Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, also expressing support for Croatia's membership in the European Union.

The Supervision Department of the Interior Ministry is investigating the circumstances of a police shooting that resulted in the death of a 30-year-old taxi driver last Sunday. The department will look into whether or not the officer in the shooting committed a criminal offence, namely grievous bodily harm resulting in death. In the incident, the civilian reportedly attacked two metropolitan officers, disarming them and taking one of their guns. The man is then said to have threatened the officers and tried repeatedly but unsuccessfully to pull the trigger (which was locked on "safety") at state police arriving at the scene. When he refused to drop the weapon he was shot and killed.

The original officers first moved in against the civilian after he reportedly assaulted a woman on the street.