Paroubek leaves Social Democratic Party

Former prime minister Jiří Paroubek has left the Social Democratic Party, which he headed from 2006 to 2010. After more than a year of speculation as to his political intentions after coming up short in last year’s parliamentary elections, Mr Paroubek on Friday told the press that his patience with the party’s platform had run out and that he wants to run a party truer to his conception of social democracy. He also said that he would have stayed with the party had it offered him an appropriate position. Mr Paroubek is in negotiations to lead a revamped Czech National Socialist Party, however its present chairman is opposed to the prospect. Social Democrat MP Jiří Šlégr also left the party on Friday. Both parliamentarians say they intend to remain in the opposition.