Jan Fischer, a European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) vice president who served as an interim Czech prime minister in a caretaker government, announced at the end of January that if direct presidential elections are held in 2013 he intends to stand as a nonaffiliated candidate. Recent opinion polls show Fischer is the clear favorite among Czech voters; his record isn’t as rosy as many think, and few know where he stands on major issues.

Last week after the coalition government’s draft bill to change the Constitution to enable direct presidential elections was submitted to the lower house for a second reading, Justice Minister Jiří Pospíšil (Civic Democrats, ODS), and the deputy prime minister for anti-corruption and deputy head of the Public Affairs party (VV), Karolína Peake, said the chances of the draft legislation being passed is fifty–fifty.