Prime Minister Petr Nečas’s Civic Democratic Party was routed in regional elections as voters voiced their anger at his plans to narrow the country’s budget deficit by raising taxes. The Civic Democrats won one of 13 regions where elections were held over the last two days and took 12.3% of all ballots cast nationwide. The opposition Social Democrats received 23.6% of the votes, while the Communists came away with 20.4%.
