State attorney: Macek 'slap' a misdemeanour

An incident at the weekend in which Miroslav Macek - a long-term advisor to the Czech president - assaulted the country's health minister has been qualified as a misdemeanour by a state attorney. The statement was made after the state attorney reviewed video of the incident from the weekend. On Saturday at a doctors' conference Mr Macek surprised Health Minister David Rath when he walked over and - without warning - slapped him on the back of the head. The attack was subsequently condemned by Czech politicians, including the prime minister.

Mr Macek defended the action by saying that he had been settling a personal score.

But, with elections a fortnight away, some political commentators are speculating over Mr Macek's intentions: he is a former deputy chairman of the right-of-centre Civic Democrats, the party currently leading in pre-election opinion polls. Mr Rath, meanwhile, is a representative of the Social Democrats, 4 points behind the leaders in a recent survey.

Author: Jan Velinger