What is preventing the government from functioning?

The situation boils down to tensions between the Czech parties the Civic Forum (ODS) on the right and the Social Democrats (CSSD) on the left. Parliament still retains a majority center-right coalition that has hung on since May 2010 despite previous corruption charges. However, in early 2013, Czechs elected former CSSD Milos Zeman as president over moderate Karel Schwarzenberg. Now the parliament and the president find themselves at odds. To end the stalemate, Zeman could have accepted the proposal for a new prime minister from the coalition or called for new elections. Instead, Zeman chose to appoint a technocratic government, cementing the standoff rather than solving it.

So what's the problem? Europe's technocratic solution seems pretty common. Yet unusual here is the closeness of the unelected officials to Zeman. And although Parliament decisively vetoed the unelected government, its decision means surprisingly little to Zeman's cohort. Parliament is still dependent on the president to appoint or approve a prime minister, and Zeman has declared that he will not appoint the head of another new government until the scandal involving Necas's aide has been resolved.

What does this say about democracy in Central Eastern Europe?

The Czech Republic was once heralded as having made the most stable transition to a democratic government in the post-1989 period. Yet like some of its post-communist fellows, its politicians seem to have backpedaled of late. These leaders have taken advantage of a parliamentary system's dependence on compromise. Rather than "checking and balancing" each other, a parliamentary executive and legislative are fused. Parliament can veto a presidentially appointed head of government, but then it cannot form a government. The president can appoint an unapproved prime minister, but then he cannot initiate laws. Luckily for Zeman, the Czech constitution favors the position of the president over Parliament--a legacy from the early post-communist governments of former president Vaclav Klaus. The president is not required to immediately appoint a new government after a parliamentary veto and his unapproved one can carry out executive duties. So, despite the veto, Zeman's technocratic government appears here to stay.

Central and Eastern European countries have made great strides toward honest, democratic government since 1989, largely thanks to the EU's accession policies. If the Czech government is flexing its executive muscle with an apparent nod to its eastern neighbors, it may jeopardize the EU's reputation as a force for democratic transformation.

This post is part of a collaboration between The Atlantic and the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.