Poll: Social Democrats still lead while Civic Democrats gain ground

If general elections were held now, the Social Democrats would come first with 32 percent of the vote, suggests a newly released opinion poll from the Median agency. After slipping markedly in recent polls, the traditional main force on the Czech right, the Civic Democrats, would finish second with 18.5 percent backing, the new poll indicates. The Communists would place third with 15.5 percent, just ahead of TOP 09 with 15 percent. The poll was conducted between mid-April and mid-May. Elections are expected in just over a year’s time.

Vehicles in Nečas motorcade collide in Russia

Two vehicles in a motorcade taking Czech Prime Minister Petr Nečas and others to the airport in Russia’s St. Petersburg collided on Tuesday. At least one person suffered minor injuries in the crash, which was likely caused by a technical fault. It was not the Czech delegation’s first problem with transport during their visit to Russia; the windshield of one of two planes carrying them to Moscow on Sunday cracked in the middle of the flight. The four-day visit, which has been primarily focused on business ties, concludes in the city of Yekaterinburg on Wednesday.