Prague - Political talks in Prague on Friday left chances open for outgoing Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek to complete his term at the European Union's helm under a "restructured" cabinet.

Czech President Vaclav Klaus and opposition Social Democratic leader Jiri Paroubek, whose party ousted the government, debated an option of swearing in a "partially" reconstructed Topolanek cabinet, Klaus' office said in a statement.

They also spoke about "an agreement on the date" of the next polls, the statement said. Klaus also discussed the matter with a leader of the junior governing Christian Democrats.

"This alternative is possible under a premise that it would be until early elections and without some people," Jan Hamacek, a lawmaker for opposition Social Democrats who instigated the toppling of the cabinet, told the German Press Agency dpa.

Hamacek said his party could allow Topolanek to govern but would for example want to replace Interior Minister Ivan Langer.

Such a solution would allow the revamped Topolanek cabinet to complete the country's EU presidency ending June 30 as early elections would likely not take place before the autumn.

Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek's government resigned on Thursday, just two days after it lost a no-confidence vote in parliament summoned over domestic squabbles. The cabinet now governs in an interim, caretaker capacity.

President Klaus, an outspoken EU critic who gets to appoint the new premier, said on Thursday that he opposes keeping in an interim, unsworn government for the sake of the Czech Republic's EU presidency.

While Social Democrats have so far opposed backing another Topolanek-led cabinet, they have favoured allowing Topolanek to complete his EU term.

The president appeared to prefer a new lasting cabinet based on consensus between the outgoing premier and his bitter foe Paroubek. But a grand coalition is unlikely owing to their personal animosities.

Topolanek and Paroubek share the same goal of reaching early elections, but have differed on the path that should take the country there.

While Topolanek would like to stay in as a caretaker until snap elections, his rival Paroubek would prefer a new interim government of experts taking the country to the polls.

After the Friday talks with Klaus, Paroubek said he wanted to garner support for a bill to dissolve parliament, a step which would require a majority of 120 votes in the 200-seat chamber.

If this happens, the polls would take place in the autumn at the earliest, according to political scientist Tomas Lebeda of Palacky University in the city of Olomouc.

While personal animosities have a potential to hamper any talks between Topolanek and Paroubek, some analysts say that a joint desire for early elections may enable them to bridge their differences. (dpa)