Friday’s elections for the lower house of the Czech parliament are unlikely to produce an outright winner, ushering in a period of coalition-building and horse-trading that will probably delay—and may even halt—much-needed economic reforms, such as cutting the government’s deficit and reforming the state-funded pension system. ODS, trailing with roughly 20% of voter support, are calling for no new taxes, cuts in government spending, increased fees at state-run medical facilities and lower social spending.
