Negotiations over new cabinet continue
Following yesterday’s negotiations over the forming of a new government with the Social Democrats, Jan Fisher will meet today with the ODS and the Green Party. Meetings will take place today at Hrzánský Palace with Green Party Chairman Martin Bursik at 10am followed in the afternoon by leader of the ODS Mirek Topolánek.
Following last night’s meeting with Jan Fischer, ČSSD Chairman Jiří Paroubek has already, announced his suggestions for seven members of the new government.
The final make-up of the new administrative cabinet of experts is expected to be finalised over the next week.
Opinion Poll for Lidové Noviny: Paroubek most at fault for government crisis
The person most responsible for causing the current political crisis is according to an exclusive opinion poll by MEDIAN the Chairman of the ČSSD Party Jiří Paroubek. He’s also the person who stands to gain the most.
From the more than 400 people questioned, 44% think that Jiří Paroubek is to blame for the crisis, whilst 41% lay the blame on Mirek Topolánek. Only 10% of those questioned hold President Václav Klaus responsible.
It’s interesting that more men find Jiří Paroubek to blame for unleashing the current crisis, whilst amongst women fault for the fall of the government is equally divided between the ODS and ČSSD leaders.
It’s largely young people from Prague and Central Czech that blame Paroubek whilst in villages and smaller towns people see Topolánek being at fault for the current situation.
As for the question of who stands to gain the most from the political crisis roughly a third of all those questioned answered unequivocally Jiří Paroubek. This view was shared by both young and old, and inhabitants of both villages and large cities.
The murderer Ďuričko wasn't a friend of ours, maintains Paroubek's wife
Petra Paroubek, wife of ČSSD Chairman Jiří Paroubek, strongly denies that herself and her husband regarded Bohumír Ďuričko as a friend. Ďuričko was sentenced to 12.5 years in prison on Friday for the murder of Václav Kočka Junior.
According to Petra Paroubek the claims of friendship with herself and her husband were just a part of Ďuričko’s strategy in court to try to limit his upcoming sentence.
‘One of these claims falsely implied a friendly relationship with myself and my husband and raised suspicion of connection with our social engagements. He used this claim only because he carried out his disgusting act at a party for the signing of a new book by my husband,’ said Petra Paroubek, protesting against the fact that an event by the Paroubek’s has been in some way associated with the actions of the killer Ďuričko.
‘That he committed this crime of murder at the end of a book signing by my husband, provides a backdrop, which for some is an opportunity to express disapproval with the contents of the book, or with the social engagements of me or my husband,’ she said. ‘We have nothing in common with the murdering criminal Ďuričko, and neither myself nor my husband had a friendly relationship with him. I personally despise him,’ she added.
Mirek Topolánek
Czech Business: a Paroubek government would be the worst
Almost a quarter of Czech Business sees the fall of Mirek Topalánek’s government as a negative says a poll of 2026 companies by the chamber of commerce. Firms consider the most acceptable solution to the current crisis to be the calling of early elections as soon as possible. The worst outcome is seen to be the establishment of a government with Jiří Paroubek (ČSSD) as Prime Minister.
Paroubek can celebrate: He overthrew the government
Chairman of the socialist democrat opposition party Jiří Paroubek (56) a few days after convincingly being re-elected by his party, achieved another notable success. At the fifth attempt he successfully persuaded the parliament today to declare no-confidence in Mirek Topolánek’s government.
Jiří Paroubek: I'll lead ČSSD to another victory
Jiří Paroubek has once again become chairman of the ČSSD party. The socialist party boss didn’t have any opponent and was elected party chairman for his third term in a row at the party conference with 410 votes from 548 delegates. 121 delegates voted against. Bohuslav Sobotka was elected vice chairman.
