The deputy chairman of the Civic Democrats, Industry and Trade Minister
Martin Kuba, has described TOP 09’s demand regarding the EU treaty as a
pretext for bringing about early elections. He suggested that the present
moment could be a good opportunity for Mr. Kalousek, who is regarded as the
de facto leader of TOP 09, to capitalise on the showing by its official
chairman, Karel Schwarzenberg, in the presidential election, in which he
received over two million votes in the second round runoff.
The Civic Democrats say there is no reason for Prague to sign up to the
fiscal compact as the country has not adopted the euro; furthermore, they
say, Czechs should decide on the matter in a referendum, because it would
hand over some powers to Brussels.