Prime Minister Paroubek hoping to turn outgoing cabinet into new government

Outgoing Prime Minister and Social Democrat leader Jiri Paroubek has confirmed that the make-up of his cabinet could change if the latest, seventh attempt at electing a new lower house speaker fails. The outgoing cabinet contains ministers of the Freedom Union, which did not make it into parliament in the June elections. With important decision-making ahead, such as next year's state budget, these ministers could be replaced. Mr Paroubek has also hinted that his new cabinet could be the country's next new government.

Two months after the parliamentary elections, the country has neither a new government nor a new lower house chairman. The 200 seats in the lower house of Parliament are evenly split between the left and the centre and right parties.