Sobotka to quit as Social Democrats chief with Chovanec to head party and Zaorálek to lead election campaign

Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka has announced that he is to step down as chairman of the Social Democratic Party on Thursday. He is to remain as head of government until after general elections in October. Mr. Sobotka made the announcement after a meeting of senior Social Democrat leaders on Wednesday evening. Deputy party chief Milan Chovanec, who is minister of the interior, will take over from Mr. Sobotka. At the same time, the outgoing chairman said he would recommend to senior party leadership that the minister of foreign affairs, Lubomír Zaorálek, head the party’s general election campaign in a move seen as attempting to reverse recent falls in the party’s opinion poll ratings. Mr. Chovanec said he expected the Social Democrats to hold an extraordinary congress after October’s elections to choose a new chairman. Bohuslav Sobotka, who is 45, became chairman of the Social Democrats in 2011.

Author: Ian Willoughby