Schwarzenberg rules out suggestions of TOP 09 – Soc. Dem. Coalition

The new centre-right political party TOP 09 has spoken out against a rival campaign that suggests they would welcome a coalition with the Social Democratic Party. Referring to new posters put out by the Civic Democratic Party showing TOP 09 vice-chair Miroslav Kalousek shaking hands with the centre-left Social Democrat leader Jirí Paroubek, TOP 09’s Karel Schwarzenberg called a coalition between the parties unacceptable and guaranteed that as chairman he had the backing of the party to commit to that stance. In related news, Mr Paroubek told the daily Právo on Saturday that no cabinet or deputy ministerial position in a government of his party would be filled by any member of the Communist Party.