Spidla under pressure to give up party chairmanship

For Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla it can't be easy: on the one hand acknowledging his party's numbing defeat in last week's European Parliament elections, on the other vowing to slog on as party chairman despite increased calls within Social Democrat ranks to step down.

Spidla under pressure to give up party chairmanship

Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla, photo.CTK

For some within the Social Democratic Party there is no other solution than Prime Minister Spidla giving up his party's leadership, after the Social Democrats suffered embarrassing defeat in last week's European Parliament elections. By gaining just two out of a possible twenty-four seats in parliament, it was clear there would be repercussions - everything from a possible cabinet shake-up to one party, the Freedom Union, leaving the coalition. Still, none of these developments has yet come to pass, and Mr Spidla is doing his best to stay in his party's saddle, asking for his party's executive committee to reconfirm his mandate.

It is clear he wants to avoid going the way of German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who was forced to step down as head of Germany's Social Democrats earlier this month over increased criticism to reform policies.

By contrast, Mr Spidla has repeated he will fight on.

That is seen as unfortunate for some party representatives, like Zuzana Domesova, the head of the Social Democrats' south Moravian branch.

"I've already made my position clear and I don't think I'm alone in this: I am increasingly of the opinion Mr Spidla should step down as party chairman of his own accord, rather than to ask the executive committee for a vote of confidence on his mandate."

Health Minister Josef Kubinyi, photo: CTK

Such public declarations, however, have been criticised by others, including the Health Minister Josef Kubinyi:

"When faced with problems like the election results I find this form of criticism towards the chairman inappropriate and disloyal. If criticism should be put forward it should be done at the party congress."

Despite the minister's support there is no shortage of those gunning for Mr Spidla as chairman and even as prime minister, and how they will play their cards at this critical junction could become clear as early as this weekend, which will witness a meeting of the party leadership. On the table: the need to address party woes mid-way through its four-year government term. All eyes will be on Interior Minister Stanislav Gross, who many, including MP Josef Hojdar, would like to see replace Vladimir Spidla as party head.

What further hurdles may present themselves for the chairman this weekend remain a question for now but it is clear it won't be business as usual for the Social Democratic Party until it begins to address its recent failure. With or without Mr Spidla - the Social Democrats are on the back-foot, a far cry from the party that won the general elections in 2002, now facing the unenviable task of having to reinvent itself.