Prague 

Prague  - The Czech government of Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek faced a vote of no-confidence on Tuesday, a test that threatens to undermine his country's presidency of the European Union.

Topolanek's fall at home would provide ammunition to his critics abroad, analysts said.

"(French President) Nicolas Sarkozy would be one of the first to make himself heard," said political scientist Petr Just, a lecturer at Metropolitan University in Prague.

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.

Prague - The Czech government of Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek Tuesday withdrew Czech-US missile defence treaties from Parliament's lower house in a move that prevents the chamber from striking them down.

"It does not mean that we would give up on the ratification process," Topolanek said at a briefing televised on the CT24 news channel, adding that the cabinet may re-submit the treaties to the house at any time.

Prague - The current Czech presidency of the European Union has called for a common approach to the financial and economic crisis from EU members, ahead of a special union summit in Brussels on Sunday.

Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said in a statement from Prague on Saturday that "We do not want any new dividing lines; we do not want a Europe divided along a North-South or an East-West line."

Several Eastern European economies appear to be faring even worse than recession-hit western European states, in the face of rapidly weakening exchange rates and large current account deficits.

Prague - Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said Wednesday that his government's stimulus plan is to give the Czech economy a boost amounting to 4.7 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), or nearly 180 billion koruny (7.8 billion dollars).

The stimulus is to cost taxpayers some 73.5 billion koruny, or 1.9 per cent of GDP, and expand country's budget gap accordingly, Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek said.

The budget deficit is expected this year to exceed 3 per cent, a limit the European Union requires for adopting the euro.