Merkel does not expect Czechs to change views on EU fiscal pact

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she does not expect a Czech affirmation of the EU fiscal pact at her meeting with Prime Minister Nešas in Prague next week. Her spokesman Steffen Seibert told the Czech Press Agency that the leaders will discuss "big European challenges", but that Germany respects the Czech reticence to the pact. The Czech Republic and Britain are the only two EU members that have not yet signed up to the pact, which binds the countries´ governments to observe balanced or surplus state budgets or face automatic sanctions.