The Czech Prime Minister Petr Nečas’s party Civic Democrats (ODS) lost half its voter base in the regional elections held Friday and Saturday, while the Social Democrats lost two-fifths, compared with the 2008 regional elections. Voters seemed to be punishing the government for its string of unpopular austerity measures and plans to patch the national budget by raising taxes.
The Civic Democrats won only one of 13 regions, while the Social Democrats pushed ahead in nine and the Communists (KSCM) took two. Mayors in the Liberec Region movement grabbed one region as well. Political analysts said the Social Democrats’ victory was anticipated but were surprised by the level of success enjoyed by KSCM. They see the results as an expression of voter frustration and predict that pressure on the government will increase, as will tension in the senior coalition party ODS.
