PM Nečas presents government’s programme ahead of confidence vote

Prime Minister Petr Nečas has presented the new Czech government’s policy programme to the lower house ahead of a vote of confidence. The coalition of the prime minister’s party the Civic Democrats, TOP 09 and Public Affairs has 118 seats in the 200-seat lower house and should comfortably win the vote. The cabinet, which was appointed a month ago, has pledged to balance the Czech Republic’s budget by 2016, reform the country’s pension, health care and university systems, and fight corruption. Mr Nečas told the Chamber of Deputies the reform programme would be pushed through in a manner that was “socially sensitive”, adding that his government would do its best to explain to the public why such changes were needed.