Ethics Newsline®

PRAGUE
Succumbing to a lingering scandal over his financing of a luxury apartment, Czech Republic Prime Minister Stanislav Gross resigned last week after less than one year on the job.

Gross, 35, who took up the post of prime minister last July, became embroiled in scandal two months ago over his purchase of a luxury Prague apartment in 1999 while still on a modest government payroll.

Gross’s evolving explanations of how he financed the deal spun into scandal, splintering the delicate coalition of political parties that he needed to carry a majority of votes in parliament, reported Bloomberg.

Gross has denied wrongdoing, but resigned last week to allow the government to reform the needed coalition, carrying 101 seats in the 200-seat lower house, according to the Reuters news agency.

Czech President Vaclav Klaus last week said that Jiri Paroubek, the government’s regional development minister, would take over as prime minister.

Klaus and Paroubek differ sharply on the fate of the EU constitution, with Klaus strongly opposing the constitution and Paroubek favoring ratification by parliament, where he carries only a slim majority, noted the Agence France-Presse.

Paroubek still faces a required vote of confidence, which must be taken within 30 days.