ČSSD wants early elections next spring

Prague, June 14 (CTK) - The opposition Social Democrats (CSSD) want to weaken the right-wing government parties in the autumn elections to the Senate and regional authorities to be able to provoke an early general election in spring 2013, CSSD leader Bohuslav Sobotka said in a speech posted on the party's website.

He said the election manifesto that the CSSD central executive committee will approve on Sunday will concern the future of not only Czech regions but also the whole country.

The regional elections will also be a referendum on the coalition government of Petr Necas (Civic Democrats, ODS), Sobotka pointed out.

The Social Democrats and European socialists in general want to move the focus of the European economic policy away from across-the-board cuts, Sobotka said. This trend led to a number of problems in EU economics and it has turned out that these cuts will not bring economic growth, he added.

On Saturday, the CSSD will organise a programme conference in Hradec Kralove, east Bohemia, that will be attended by Hannes Swoboda, leader of the socialist group in the European Parliament, and Slovak PM Robert Fico (Smer-Social Democracy).

Czech shadow finance minister Jan Mladek will present the CSSD's economic strategy at the conference.