But, Mr Gross' re-election as chairman of the Social Democratic Party
has left the future of the governing coalition in doubt: coalition
partners, the Christian Democrats, had called for the prime minister's
resignation over the last month, saying they would pull out of the
government unless the prime minister accepted responsibility for a
recent property scandal.
There has been no final decision by the Christian Democrats yet,
however they have made it clear when talks between the two political
parties reconvene they will push for either Mr Gross to step down, or
for early elections, as a condition for holding the coalition together.
Christian Democrat leader Miroslav Kalousek has said the two sides
should meet within a matter of days. The prime minister, meanwhile,
indicated the ball is now very much in the Christian Democrats' court;
he would prefer the government to continue in its present form until
national elections in 2006.