Nov. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer and the leaders of the nation’s two largest political parties picked European Affairs Minister Stefan Fule to be the nation’s next European Union commissioner.

Fule, 47, a former Czech ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, will succeed Commissioner Vladimir Spidla in Brussels, Fischer told reporters today in Prague.

The selection diffuses a stalemate over the past two weeks that pitted the premier against Civic Democrat Chairman Mirek Topolanek and Social Democrat Chairman Jiri Paroubek. Fischer had nominated the central bank governor after he rejected pressure to take the job himself, a move that would have led to a third head of government this year.

“We debated only two names,” Fischer said. “Based on a political agreement, the Cabinet has agreed to submit a proposal with Minister Fule’s” candidacy.

Fule’s nomination must be approved by Parliament and the president before it becomes final. Fischer will submit the name to the parliament’s EU affairs committee tomorrow before sending the submission to Commission President Jose Barroso, according to CTK newswire reported.

Fischer, an independent economist, rejected an offer on Nov. 7 by the Civic Democratic Party and the Social Democrats to take the post in Brussels. Over the weekend, he said he would propose his own candidate if party leaders failed, sparking criticism by Topolanek and Paroubek, both of whom are former premiers.

Fischer left his job as head of the Czech Statistical Office to replace Topolanek, who was ousted in March by the Social Democrats, with a mandate to run the government until October, when early elections were scheduled.

That plan has been scrapped and regular elections will now take place in May or June.

Spidla is the first commissioner since the Czech Republic joined the EU in 2004. Spidla is commissioner of social affairs and a former premier under a Social Democrat government. He was proposed for a second term by the Social Democrats.

To contact the reporter for this story: James M. Gomez in Prague at jagomez@bloomberg.netAndrea Dudikova in Prague adudikova@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: November 10, 2009 08:21 EST