President Pavel: election outcome shows ruling parties where to turn their attention

Czech President Petr Pavel has said that the results of the regional elections are a signal to the government regarding which regions it should pay more attention to ahead of next year's general elections. Asked to comment on the outcome of the elections by the CTK news agency, Mr. Pavel said that the elections should not be taken as a referendum on the government, because they revolve around regional issues and moreover Prague did not take part in the vote which tends to distort the big picture when it cames to support for the ruling coalition. The president said it was too early to make a comprehensive assessment, since regional coalitions are still being put together.