Czech press survey.

(From Czech News Agency)

PRAGUE, March 1 (CTK) - Pavel Verner in Pravo today writes that early elections, the slogan that the senior opposition Civic Democrats (ODS) have been repeating ad nauseum during the current government crisis, are not an easy matter.

Verner says that early elections destabilise a country and send a dubious signal across the border. In order for a government to fall and early elections to be necessary, Verner says, the government would have to stop fulfilling its function.

Such a non-functioning government would not be able to agree on bills, work on large privatisation projects, assure foreign investments and not be able to work towards agreed-on reforms. "There would be no reason to maintain such a government," Verner says.

The ODS claims that this is the case, but is not able to put forward any evidence to support these claims. At the same time, economic indicators are positive.

"We can discuss to what extant this is the government's doing and what is thanks to the surrounding global economy. However, for the purchase-happy population, the state of affairs is the important thing. Basically, we are not that poorly off. Why then change the government?" Verner asks.

The scandal surrounding the financing of Prime Minister Stanislav Gross's flat and his wife's business dealings are the only reason for the current crisis and therefore for early elections.