PM Fischer will not step down over 2010 budget

The Czech prime minister, Jan Fischer, rejected on Thursday an appeal by the Civic Democrats to step down over next year’s state budged. The right-of-centre party said the budget’s deficit of 163 billion crowns, or 9.2 billion US dollars, was “terrifying”, and the caretaker government should consider stepping down. Mr Fischer said the call was “a very strong statement” and that he would take time to analyze the situation. The prime minister noted he was not very happy about the outcome of the vote in which his cabinet did not take part, Mr Fischer added.

The lower house of the Czech Parliament approved the state budget for 2010 on Wednesday, with Social Democrat and Communist MPs pushing through additional expenditures. The final version of the budget has also been criticized by President Václav Klaus.