Pirates, CSSD opt out of joining opposition bloc in Czech parliament

Neither the Czech Pirates nor the Social Democrats (CSSD) will join the Democratic Bloc that four rightist and centrist parties founded on Wednesday to act jointly in the new lower house, the Pirates and the CSSD have told media, each presenting its own reasons for shunning the project. The Pirates will not join the bloc because a condition is that the members do not support ANO's Radek Vondracek for lower house head at the house's upcoming constituent session, while the Pirates plan to back him, their chairman Ivan Bartos said. The Social Democrats said they want to proceed independently in the Chamber of Deputies.