Czech Budget Cuts Face Veto as Opposition Wins Senate

Czech Social Democrats vowed to veto cuts in welfare programs after securing a Senate majority in weekend elections, potentially delaying Prime Minister Petr Necas’s drive to narrow the budget deficit.

The Social Democrats won 12 races in run-off contests Oct. 22-23, giving them 41 seats in the 81-member Senate. The chamber, which must approve all legislation except the budget, had been controlled by Necas’s three-party coalition.