CSSD wants Czech general, European elections on the same date

Sobotka said both elections might be organised on May 23-24, 2014.

"I believe it is in the interest of our country and of our state budget that the elections take place on the same date," he said.

After a debate with political parties, President Milos Zeman should use the unique opportunity and set the date of the joint elections, Sobotka said.

The CSSD called on other political parties to support their proposal.

The Social Democrats said the state would save several hundred million crowns if the two elections were held together. The costs of election campaigns would be lower, too, they argued.

Apart from the general election and the EP elections in mid-2014, municipal elections and two-round Senate elections will be held in autumn 2014, Sobotka recalled.

Media label 2014 "the super-election year."

Opinion polls show that the senior opposition CSSD would clearly win the general election. If the elections to the lower house of Czech parliament and to the European Parliament were organised together, this would probably increase the turnout for the EP election and make the left wing more successful in it.

Author: ČTK
www.ctk.cz