A Czech dead end
A Czech dead end

Summary/Abstract: The Czech parliamentary elections of 3–4 June 2006 led to a dead end. Only five parties managed to attain the minimum five percent of voter support needed to pass the parliamentary threshold and thus gain representation in the 200-member lower house. The only way to attain a majority coalition government would be for a grand coalition to be formed between the Civic Democratic and Social Democratic parties, since all other potential coalition combinations boasting majority support would have to involve the Communist Party. Since no one in the Czech Republic wants to enter into a coalition with the communists, the elections have given politicians a tough puzzle to crack. After reviewing the electoral campaign, the article proceeds to analyze the elections and discusses how the results could impact the 2008 presidential election and the country’s politics overall.

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