However, Cunek said he considered it improbable for the coalition to split before the Czech Republic takes the EU presidency next year. "Nevertheless, everything is possible," Cunek CzechRep may face trial over recognition of qualifications ...
Cunek planning reorganisation, personnel changes in his ministry ...
Czech-U.S.
radar treaty to include chapter on link with NATO ... said. Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek (senior ruling Civic Democrats, ODS) told the Christian Democrats at their congress at the weekend that either they should fulfil the coalition programme because it reflects, to a considerable extent, also their election promises or they should rather leave the coalition. "Yes, if the government takes steps that are unacceptable to the KDU-CSL in certain forms of the reform then we will honestly inform our coalition partners about our position and we are prepared to withdraw from the coalition at a certain moment," Cunek said. He said health care reform could be the reason for the Christian Democrats leaving the coalition. "If we are convinced that some of the steps would lead to the collapse of Czech health care," Cunek said. The Christian Democrats are, for instance, against the privatisation of regional hospitals and public health insurance companies. They proposed that the maximum sum people should pay to doctors and for medicine were two percent of their annual income instead of the current 5000-crown limit. Under the government public finance reform that took effect as of the beginning of this year, Czechs pay 30 crowns per visit to a doctor and per item on a prescription, 60 crowns per day in hospital and 90 crowns for after hours treatment. Health insurance companies will return to people what they will pay in excess of the 5000-crown annual limit for the fees. Cunek today again said he firmly believed that the Christian Democrats' proposals would be accepted in some form. He confirmed that the Christian Democrats would be ready to provoke arbitration talks within the coalition over certain things such as privatisation of health care and said that the coalition agreement allowed for this. Cunek said that the Christian Democrats were prepared to vote for some proposals by Health Minister Tomas Julinek (ODS). "However, we have never pledged to sell health insurance companies to private owners," he said. The KDU-CSL adopted a resolution at its congress in which it rejected the sale of public health insurance companies but did not reject their transformation into business companies. ($1=15.921 Czech crowns)
(Ceske Noviny)
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