A leader of the coalition TOP 09 party, Finance Minister Miroslav
Kalousek, said his group would only participate in a government led by the
current prime minister, Petr Nečas. Speaking on a Czech TV channel, Prima,
on Sunday, Mr Kalousek said his party would also leave the coalition if the
lower house of Parliament next week makes changes to the government’s tax
legislation.
Mr Kalousek’s statement comes at a time when Mr Nečas finds himself
under pressure from within his party, the Civic Democrats, and a week
before he runs for re-election as party chair. Some Civic Democrat MPs, who
have refused to back the government’s plant to raise VAT rates, have
called for Petr Nečas to step down as party leader.