Rebel MPs may bring down government

Rebel Civic Democrat MP Vlastimil Tlustý told Czech TV on Sunday that he and two of his fellow rebel Civic Democrats may join the opposition in Tuesday’s key vote of no confidence in the government. Mr Tlustý said “the cup has overflowed” and that the centre-right cabinet of Mirek Topolánek should end.

The opposition Social Democrats will attempt to bring down the government in a vote of no-confidence on Tuesday; the opposition had failed to do so on four previous occasions. The head of the Social Democrats, Jiří Paroubek, said that if the opposition succeeds, the cabinet of PM Topolánek should remain in power until the end of the Czech EU presidency in June.