Topolánek: government collapse in Czech Republic hurts all small countries in EU

Outgoing Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek has said that the collapse of the Czech government halfway through the country’s EU presidency harms all small countries in the 27-nation bloc. In an interview with the newspaper Mladá fronta Dnes on Saturday, the outgoing Czech prime minister said that all post-communist countries and other small countries in Europe relied upon the Czech Republic to handle its presidency well. Mr Topolánek added that the collapse of his cabinet halfway through the presidency had given rise to comments in the European media, questioning small countries’ ability to run the EU. Mr Topolánek’s cabinet was toppled by a no-confidence vote on March 24. An interim government, which will steer the country to early elections, will take over the country formally on May 9. The Czech Republic’s presidency of the European Union runs until the end of June.