The Social Democrats vowed to veto cuts in welfare programs after securing a Senate majority in weekend elections, potentially delaying Prime Minister Petr Nečas’s drive to narrow the budget deficit. The ČSSD won 12 races in run-off contests 22-23 October, giving them 41 seats in the 81-member Senate. The chamber, which must approve all legislation except the budget, had been controlled by Nečas’s three-party coalition.
