TOP 09 Now Most Popular Czech Party

http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/view/35859/top_09_now_most_popular_czech_party/

August 11, 2010

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - A relatively new political party has become the most liked in the Czech Republic, according to a poll by SANEP. 22.8 per cent of respondents would vote for the conservative Tradition Responsibility Prosperity 09 (TOP 09) in the next legislative election.

The Czech Social Democratic Party (CSSD) is a close second with 22.6 per cent, followed by the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) with 21.1 per cent, the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSCM) with 10 per cent, and Public Affairs (VV) with 9.1 per cent.

In March 2009, ODS leader and Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek’s government lost one of many non-confidence motions tabled by the opposition since 2007. The leaders of the ODS, the Christian and Democratic Union - Czech People’s Party (KDU-CSL), the Green Party (SZ), and CSSD agreed to form an interim cabinet of non-partisan members.

Czech President Vaclav 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 2009. In March 2010, then deputy leader Petr Necas replaced Topolanek as ODS leader.

In late May, Czech voters renewed their Chamber of Representatives. Final results gave the CSSD a first-place finish with 22.1 per cent of the vote and 56 seats, followed by the ODS with 20.2 per cent and 53 seats.

Following the vote, Jiri Paroubek tendered his resignation as CSSD leader; Bohuslav Sobotka took over as acting leader of the CSSD.

Although it finished in first place, the CSSD was not able to form a government. In late June, President Klaus designated ODS leader Necas as the next prime minister. Necas formed a government with the support of the TOP 09 and VV. The three parties control 118 of the lower house’s 200 seats.

On Aug. 4, Prime Minister Necas announced that the government will raise one of two brackets of the Value Added Tax (VAT) as early as next year, declaring, "Changes (...) will be done in connection with reform of the pension system." It is yet unclear how much will be added to the levy, currently set at 10 per cent.

Polling Data

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

Tradition Responsibility Prosperity 09 (TOP 09)


22.8%

Czech Social Democratic Party (CSSD)


22.6%

Civic Democratic Party (ODS)


21.1%

Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSCM)


10.0%

Public Affairs (VV)


9.1%

Other parties


14.4%

Source: SANEP
Methodology: Online interviews with 3,273 Czech voters, conducted from Jul. 15 to Jul. 20, 2010. Margin of error is 1.5 per cent.