Former president criticises Social Democrats for role in bringing down government

Former Czech president Václav Havel has criticised the opposition Social Democrats for their role in bringing down the government in March. In an interview for Saturday’s Lidové noviny, the former president suggested the move, halfway through the EU presidency, was an act of “stupidity” – something he hoped voters wouldn’t forget. The government was toppled in a no-confidence vote initiated by the leftist party. In the past, Mr Havel expressed support for the Social Democrats, but now seems to have indicated a shift in sympathies towards the right-of-centre Civic Democrats – once led by current President Václav Klaus. Mr Havel suggested in the interview that the party had shifted on a number of issues. Some Civic Democrats have made clear they would welcome Mr Havel’s support ahead of early elections.