Poll: Czechs split on TOP 09’s chances of success

Some 44 percent of Czechs believe that Miroslav Kalousek’s new centre-right political party TOP 09 will succeed in making it into Parliament in October’s early elections, while 48 percent of those polled said they thought it would fail. The poll was conducted by the Factum Invenio agency and published in the daily Právo on Wednesday. Former Foreign Minsiter Karel Schwarzenberg announced last week that he would lead Mr Kalousek’s party. According to the poll, Mr Schwarzenberg’s personal popularity plays a significant role in the party’s support. Almost 50 percent of those polled said they thought Mr Schwarzenberg’s patronage would benefit the party. According to Právo, the former foreign minister enjoys more widespread popularity than former finance minister Miroslav Kalousek.