Budget Talks Collapse in the Netherland Early elections are now expected in the northern European country after the collapse of budget talks on Saturday, although Prime Minister Mark Rutte said he would try to reach a deal that would reassure financial markets as Europe's debt crisis deepens. "Elections are to be expected now," Mr. Rutte, who has been in power since 2010, said. He now plans to talk to Parliament on how to proceed. Mr. Rutte's Liberal-Christian Democrat government and its ally, the far-right Freedom Party led by Geert Wilders, had been in talks for weeks, trying to reach a deal to cut about 14 billion to 16 billion euros from the annual budget. The cuts are essential if the Netherlands is to bring its deficit back to below the European Union's goal of 3 percent of gross domestic product and ease concerns which saw it threatened with a downgrade of its credit rating on Friday. Mr. Wilders, whose party opposes immigration and euro zone bailouts, called for elections to be held "as soon as possible." "I had hoped we would work something out, but this package is unacceptable for our party and the country," Mr. Wilders told reporters. It's time to go to the Dutch voters. The Dutch government has been among one of Germany's strongest supporters in its push to force through a new pact on fiscal responsibility in the euro zone - a crucial element of efforts to see off the wider debt crisis. The Netherlands is one of four euro countries with a coveted triple-A rating, but concerns over its finances have remained in the background as the minority administration struggled to reach agreement on the budget cutbacks. The breakdown of the talks followed a warning from the ratings agency Fitch that the country was on the verge of a downgrade in its credit status because of its high debt. Mr. Rutte in the past has drawn support from the left-leaning Labour party to pass legislation on euro zone issues. Countries across Europe continue wrestling with the financial crisis. In the Czech Republic on Saturday, tens of thousands of demonstrators staged one of the biggest protests since the fall of communism, marching in Prague against spending cuts, tax rises and corruption and calling for the end of a center-right government already close to collapse. Police estimated that 80,000 to 90,000 workers, students and pensioners snaked through the capital to rally in Wenceslas Square. Chanting and whistling, the crowd held banners proclaiming "Away with the government" and "Stop thieves." Rallies of such a scale are rare in the country of 10.5 million people. The demonstration against Prime Minister Petr Necas's government is the third such trade union-led protest in 12 months against austerity measures, and the turnout underscored rising public frustration after a series of graft scandals. The protest comes as the government is working to reaffirm its majority in parliament ahead of a Monday deadline.