Zeman has not reacted to Němcová’s nomination

President Miloš Zeman said that he will discuss his views on the Civic Democrats’ nomination of Miroslava Němcová for the post of prime minister first with leaders of the parliamentary parties and only after will reveal his decision to the press. The Civic Democratic leadership put forward the lower house speaker as their nominee on Wednesday, after Petr Nečas resigned as prime minister in response to a scandal involving his closest aides. President Zeman plans to meet with party chairmen in the next few days to discuss possible solutions to the current government crisis. It is in his competence to name a candidate from among the Civic Democrats to try and renew the centre-right coalition or could decide on a candidate of his own choosing to lead a caretaker government. The president has also said that the possibility of early elections is not off the table.

The Social Democrats have criticized the choice of Mrs. Němcová, but the Civic Democrats’ coalition partners TOP 09 and LIDEM parties mostly approved of it.