(03/09/10) -

Czech Social Democrats Stay Highly Popular

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The Czech Social Democratic Party (CSSD) continues to hold the upper hand in the country’s political scene, according to a poll by SANEP. 32.4 per cent of respondents would vote for the main opposition party in this year’s legislative election, essentially unchanged since February.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The Czech Social Democratic Party (CSSD) continues to hold the upper hand in the country’s political scene, according to a poll by SANEP. 32.4 per cent of respondents would vote for the main opposition party in this year’s legislative election, essentially unchanged since February.

The ruling Civic Democratic Party (ODS) is a distant second with 23 per cent, followed by the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSCM) with 12.9 per cent, and the Tradition Responsibility Prosperity 09 (TOP 09) with 12.2 per cent. Support is lower for Public Affairs (VV), the Christian and Democratic Union – Czech People’s Party (KDU-CSL), and the Green Party (SZ).

In June 2006, Czech voters renewed the Chamber of Representatives. Final results gave the ODS 35.58 per cent of all cast ballots, followed by the CSSD with 32.32 per cent. Czech parties require at least five per cent of the vote to earn seats under the country’s proportional representation system. The final tallies gave the ODS, the KDU-CSL and the SZ 10 seats in the lower house, with the remaining 100 seats going to the CSSD and the KSCM.

The tie among rival factions led to a long political stalemate. In January 2007, Czech president Vaclav Klaus re-appointed ODS leader Mirek Topolanek as prime minister.

In March 2009, Topolanek’s government finally lost one of many non-confidence motions tabled by the opposition since 2007. The last motion was in part incited by opposition to the government’s handling of the economy. The leaders of the ODS, KDU-CSL, SZ and CSSD agreed to form an interim cabinet of non-partisan members. Klaus appointed Jan Fischer—a non-partisan, little known public servant who had been heading the Czech Statistical Office (CSU)—to serve as interim prime minister. Fischer took office in May.

Fischer was originally slated to serve until early October 2009, when a new legislative election was supposed to take place. The ballot was postponed due to a Constitutional Court decision, and was re-scheduled for May 28 and May 29, 2010.

On Feb. 23, ODS deputy chairman Petr Necas criticized the CSSD for recent comments which suggested that the country’s pension system does not need to be altered, declaring, "The statements that the Czech Republic does not need a major reform are not only populist calls but they also really threaten the level of living of people who are now in their thirties and forties."

Polling Data

What party list would you vote for in the next parliamentary election?