Prague - The government of Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek faces a March 24 confidence vote in Parliament's lower house, the first such challenge during his country's rotating presidency of the European Union, the Parliament said Tuesday.

The main opposition Social Democrats, who have not eased their attacks on Topolanek's government during the EU presidency, which started January 1 and ended June 30, summoned the vote over a scandal in which the premier faces allegations of meddling with the media.

The premier, who cannot afford to lose a single vote in the closely divided Chamber of Deputies, admitted to asking his aide to help a cabinet-supporting independent lawmaker to ward off "media pressures."

The aide then asked a television reporter to shelve a report on the lawmaker's alleged subsidy fraud. Topolanek claimed to have no knowledge of the intervention, of which the reporter made a recording.

Topolanek's three-party center-right government has survived four confidence votes since taking power in January 2007.

Analysts say the cabinet faces a tougher challenge next week as it currently commands only 96 votes in the 200-seat chamber and relies on unpredictable independents - defectors from either the coalition or opposition camp.

The Social Democrats have 97 seats and will need 101 votes to topple the cabinet.

Adding to Topolanek's woes, two of his lawmakers are absent due to illness and injury. (dpa)