PM announces date of resignation

Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek announced on Wednesday that he will resign after an extraordinary government session on July 3, triggering the fall of his government and opening the way for a new administration. The move will allow President Vaclav Klaus to appoint Civic Democrat chairman Mirek Topolanek as the next prime minister. Mr. Topolanek has managed to form a three party centre-right coalition but he lacks a majority in Parliament, where the left and right parties hold a hundred seats each.