Senate approves radar plans

The Czech Senate has approved government-sponsored legislation to locate a US anti-missile radar base in the Czech Republic. 49 out of 81 present senators approved the plans – an outcome, which was largely expected. All Social Democrat and Communist senators voted against the base, but were not joined by any members from other parties. A last-minute Social Democrat attempt to postpone the vote was also unsuccessful. Despite this step, an upcoming and as yet unscheduled vote in the Lower House is likely to be far more contentious, with the opposition parties requiring only one stray MP for the legislation to fail. The government has already signed an agreement with the US government with regards to the base, but cannot go forward without parliamentary approval. Opinion polls have consistently suggested that most Czechs are against the American radar base, which would be part of a global anti-missile defence shield.