TABLE-Czech opposition gains ground, govt loses

                                
 PRAGUE, Dec 17 (Reuters) - The Czech Republic's main
opposition party, the leftist Social Democrats, extended its
lead over the ruling right-wing group to a record 17.5
percentage points, an opinion poll showed on Wednesday.
                                
 The survey by the CVVM agency conducted between Dec. 1 and
Dec. 8 unveiled the Social Democrats would win 44.5 percent of
the vote in a parliamentary election now, up from 43 percent a
month ago.
                                
 Support for the governing right-wing Civic Democrats ticked
down to 27 percent from 27.5 percent.
                                
 Election is scheduled in mid-2010.
                                
 Hurt by unpopular economic reforms, political infighting
within the party and plans to host a U.S. missile defence base,
the ruling party has been losing support, exposing the
government ahead of the Czechs' six-month presidency of the
European Union which starts in January.
                                
 The Civic Democrats have ruled in a shaky coalition with the
centrist Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) and the Green Party since
January 2007 but now lacks a majority due to several defections.
                                
 The government's weak position and the economic turmoil in
Europe has raised concerns about the small ex-communist state's
ability to be an effective EU president.

DATE       INSTITUTE   ODS    CSSD   KSCM   KDU-CSL  Greens
 Dec 17/08    CVVM      27.0   44.5   14.0    6.0       6.0
 Nov 21/08    CVVM      27.5   43.0   11.5    6.5       8.0
 Nov 18/08    STEM      21.1   37.7    9.6    5.6       5.6
 Oct 30/08    STEM      21.4   33.3   12.0    6.1       7.1
 Oct 29/08    CVVM      26.5   40.0   14.5    7.0       8.5
 Sept 17/08   CVVM      29.0   34.0   16.0    7.5      10.0
 Sept 16/08   STEM      22.3   32.6   11.8    5.9       8.4
 June 18/08   STEM      24.0   33.7   11.8    4.5       8.1
 June 18/08   CVVM      27.5   37.0   15.5    7.5      10.5
 May 28/08    CVVM      26.5   38.0   16.0    7.5       9.0
 May 20/08    STEM      24.8   30.3   11.3    5.2      10.6
 April 24/08  CVVM      30.0   34.0   15.0    8.5      10.5
 April 16/08  STEM      23.4   31.2   11.3    5.5       9.2
 March 21/08  CVVM      32.0   36.0   13.0    7.0      10.0
 March 14/08  STEM      24.2   30.3   10.7    5.3       8.9
 March 07/08  FI        30.7   37.3   16.2    6.0       8.3
 Feb 21/08    CVVM      27.0   36.5   16.0    8.5       9.0
 Feb 15/08    STEM      26.7   31.1   10.6    7.0       9.4
 Jan 31/08    CVVM      27.0   37.0   16.5    7.5      10.0
 Jan 25/08    FI        27.8   38.0   17.5    6.4       7.6
 Jan 15/08    STEM      24.3   31.0   13.1    6.0       8.2
 Dec 19/07    CVVM      28.0   35.0   16.5    6.5      11.5
 Dec 18       STEM      24.5   33.3   11.8    6.2       8.7
----------------------------------------------------------------
June 2006 election      35.4   32.3   12.8    7.2       6.3
 
                                
 NOTE. The latest CVVM poll was conducted between Dec 1 and
Dec 8 among 1094 eligible Czech voters. 
 The parties are:
 - Civic Democratic Party (ODS) - right-of-centre,
liberal-conservative
 - The Czech Social Democratic Party (CSSD) - leftist
 - Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party
(KDU-CSL) - centrist
 - The Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSCM) - far left
 - The Greens - environmentalists, centrist.
                                
Pollsters: The FI and CVVM results are based on a model
predicting gains at the poll box, excluding those not willing to
vote and undecided.
                                
STEM results are direct voter preferences, and include
replies from all respondents including those not willing to
vote. Parties should thus win a larger than indicated share of
the vote at the election.
 (Reporting by Jan Lopatka; Editing by Jon Boyle)