Rebel Civic Democrat deputies offer compromise solution

The six rebel Civic Democrat deputies who will decide the fate of the centre-right government at an upcoming parliamentary session in October say there is still room for a compromise solution. Following Tuesday’s session of the party’s deputies club in Parliament, Petr Tluchoř said he and five other deputies who were not willing to support tax hikes had no interest in bringing down the coalition government. He said the group had offered the Civic Democratic party alternate ways of saving money which would not necessitate a 1 percent VAT hike next year. The proposal is reportedly a package of cost-cutting measures in the public sector. The row over tax hikes within the prime minister’s Civic Democratic Party threatens to bring down the government since the prime minister has linked a vote of confidence in his government to the controversial tax hike bill. The bill is to be debated at a session starting October 23.