Rebel MP Schwippel leaves Civic Democrats

Rebel Civic Democrat MP Jan Schwippel has left the centre-right party one day after announcing his candidature for Libertas.cz in June’s European elections. Mr Schwippel was one of two Civic Democrat MPs to vote against their party and topple the government last Tuesday. Fellow rebel Civic Democrat Vlastimil Tlustý has also subsequently announced that he will be standing for Libertas.cz in the upcoming European elections, but has dismissed calls for him to leave the Civic Democratic Party. On Friday, Jan Schwippel said that he didn’t believe that he had broken any party rules, nor did he believe that his views were at odds with the Civic Democrats’ original ideology, instead he said the party leadership had been moving away from the party’s original mandate and principles, and this he could no longer accept. Mr Schwippel did not rule out rejoining the Civic Democrats should a change in leadership take place.