PRAGUE, Czech Republic, April 25 (UPI) -- Jiri Paroubek was appointed Czech prime minister Monday, hours after Stanislav Gross formally resigned, Czech Radio reported.
Paroubek, local development minister in Gross's cabinet, will now submit his new cabinet to Parliament, which must give its approval within 30 days.
The government will be a coalition led by the Social Democrats in partnership with the Christian Democrats and the Freedom Union.
Gross, who at 35 was the youngest prime minister in Europe, was forced to step down amid a scandal over the financing of his luxury apartment in Prague.
Gross has denied any wrongdoing, but his coalition partners said they would no longer serve in government with the Social Democrats unless they found a replacement as premier from within their own ranks.
Paroubek, 52, is the Czech Republic's third prime minister in less than a year. Unless the coalition falls apart, he will govern until elections in 2006.
