PM to discuss public finance reform with two ex-Social Democrat MPs

Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek is due to meet on Tuesday MPs Milos Melcak and Michal Pohanka who left the opposition Social Democratic Party last autumn and enabled Mr Topolanek's right-of-centre coalition cabinet to win a vote of confidence in the lower house. The two MPs may play a crucial role in the upcoming vote on the government-proposed package of public finance reforms. The opposition has said it will not support the legislation and the governing coalition has no guaranteed majority in the chamber. Prime Minister Topolanek says he does not yet know the two legislators' view on the reform package.

The leadership of the Social Democrats recommended to the party's MPs on Saturday to file a constitutional complaint against the reform package and not to approve it in a vote scheduled to take place in July. Social Democrat chairman Jiri Paroubek said at a news conference on Saturday that with their reform plan the ruling coalition was creating a country only for the rich. The first stage of the reforms, approved by the cabinet last week, includes changes to the tax and social welfare systems and introduces fees for certain healthcare services.