Politics of the Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is a parliamentary republic. The Constitution divides power in the state in the legislative, executive and judicial branches. The legislative branch consists of the two chambers of Parliament: the House of Representatives and the Senate, the executive of the President, the government and the public prosecutor's office and the judiciary of the constitutional court and the general courts. House of Representatives, the Senate and the President are directly elected. Head of State is the President. The Prime Minister has extended rights against the state.

State Institutions

Legislature

Parliament

The Parliament is the only carrier legislative power. It consists of two chambers, the House of Representatives ( Poslanecká sněmovna ) and the Senate ( Senát ), both of which are elected directly by the people and legitimized. The House of Representatives consists of 200 members, the Senate of 81 senators. In the House of Representatives, the legislative period is 4 years, the mandate is exercised freely. The Senators have a six -year term elected every two years, a third of them. Simultaneous membership in both chambers is not permitted, in contrast, is membership in the parliament and in the government at the same time almost the rule.

Parliament's role is in the first row, the control of the government and the adoption of laws. Deputies and the Senate as a chamber possess even a legislative initiative ( not exclusive ). Also in some international treaties parliamentary approval is required. Furthermore, the Parliament proclaimed a state of war in the event of an enemy attack or when international military alliance obligations must be met.

The government needs after their arrival the confidence of the House of Representatives. Similarly, the House of Representatives can force a vote of no confidence the government to resign. The deputies have the right to interpellate the government and its members.

In the legislative process, the Senate has a relatively weak position in relation to the House of Representatives. Laws are first approved by the House of Representatives. After that, the bill is presented to the Senate. The Senate Where a negative position, it can be overruled by the House of Representatives by an absolute majority of all deputies. Only in key situations, the approval of both chambers is required. In this area in particular, include the adoption of constitutional laws, the electoral law, the proclamation of martial law or the sending of troops abroad ( and until January 2013, the election of the President ). In some areas, in turn, decides the Senate alone ( Approval of the appointment of constitutional judges, constitutional challenge against the president for treason ).

The legislative activity of the Parliament is controlled by the Constitutional Court. In certain crisis situations ( but not the Senate ) can be dissolved by the President of the House of Representatives.

Choice

The House of Representatives is elected by proportional representation method. The political parties put in the constituencies ( the same as the areas of 14 regions ) candidate lists. There is a minimum threshold of 5 %. The votes are translated according to the D' Hondt method in mandates. The voter may grant two candidates a preferential vote. The minimum age of candidates is 21 years. Elections take place every four years.

The Senate is elected by the majority vote method. The candidate who on the first ballot receives more than 50 % of the votes in the relevant constituency is elected Senator. If no candidate receives the necessary votes in the first ballot, a second ballot shall be held, at which the two most successful candidates in the first round participate. In the second ballot, a relative majority is sufficient for victory.

The minimum age of candidates, in the case of the Senate 40 years. The candidates can be proposed and supported by political parties or independent candidate. The term of a senator is 6 years. Elections are held every two years, with each elected in a third of the 81 constituencies. The election candidates are often known or generally respectable persons in public life.

Entitled to vote, each citizen of the Czech Republic who has attained the age of 18.

Executive

President

The President of the Czech Republic is the head of state and represents the state outward. He was elected until 2012 by both chambers of Parliament in a joint session. After a constitutional amendment he is elected in a direct vote by the people. Election winner is the candidate with the absolute majority of all votes cast. If no candidate receives such majority on the first ballot, followed in 14 days, a second ballot, in which the two candidates with the most votes will participate. The election period is 5 years, renewable once possible, the minimum age of candidates is 40 years.

The President exercises his powers partly independent, partly in cooperation with the Government of ( counter-signature of the Prime Minister or a member of the Government ). Self-employed or appointed by it shall not relieve the prime minister and other government officials, where appropriate, he accepts their resignations. In certain crisis situations, he can dissolve the House of Representatives. Without countersignature he appoints the judges of the Constitutional Court, the Chairman of the Supreme Court, the President and Vice- President of the Supreme Authority and members of the Council of the Czech National Bank. In the legislative process, the President has a suspensive veto and thus can feed back a bill to Parliament ( this does not apply in case of a Constitutional Law).

The President may also arrange to hire a criminal or not to initiate the issue, mitigate or eradicate further penalties. Traditionally, the President is often asked by citizens to assert their rights against state institutions for help.

The President can not be prosecuted and is for his administration to any other constitutional body accountable. It can be charged only for treason, before the Constitutional Court and prosecution of the Senate. The only possible penalty is loss of office and loss of office fitness for a further term.

Government

The Government is the supreme body of the executive branch, consisting of the Prime Minister ( předseda Vlady ), the Deputy Prime Minister and the Ministers. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President of the Republic. According to his proposal, the President appoints then also the other members of the government. The government then has thirty days time to submit to a vote of confidence in parliament.

Formally speaking, the government decides as a body, but in fact, the Prime Minister a great influence on the decision process. As part of the legislative process, the government is the most common rugs of bills. The government is responsible to the Chamber of Deputies. The Chamber of Deputies may force the government as a whole by a motion of censure.

Self-administration

The Article 99 of the Czech Constitution divided the Czech Republic in communities ( obec ), these are elementary self-governing territorial units, and in (14) regions ( kraj ), they are higher self-governing territorial units. The offices of local and regional practice in a figurative form of the state power. The districts ( okres ) since 2003 no more administrative units.

See also: Administrative divisions of the Czech Republic

Judiciary

The judiciary consists of the Constitutional Court and a four-stage system of general courts. The Czech judiciary is divided into four branches: constitutional courts, civil courts, criminal jurisdiction and administrative courts.

Constitutional court

The Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic ( České Republiky Ústavní soud ) is an independent constitutional body, and a special court in the field of constitutional law. It determines whether individual laws and standards in accordance with the Constitution are. The most important competence of the Court is to repeal unconstitutional laws or legal norms. It has further competencies in the area of ​​voting rights.

The court consists of 15 judges who make decisions in four three-member tribunals or as a full. The judges are appointed by the President of the Republic with the consent of the Senate of Parliament for 10 years and can not be recalled. The Constitutional Court is located in Brno.

System of general courts

The system of general courts ( obecné soudnictví ) consists of a four-tier court system. The first level consists of 81 district courts ( okresní soud in Prague under the name Obvodní soud and in Brno soud as Mestsky v Brně ). The second level consists of eight district courts ( krajský soud in Prague as Městský soud ), distributed in the former seven circles of the 1960s caused the delimitation of constituencies. These courts are located in Ústí nad Labem, Plzeň, České Budějovice, Hradec Králové, Brno, Ostrava and Prague ( soud v Praze Mestsky for the city and soud v Praze Krajský for the surrounding area ). Extensions are located in Karlovy Vary, Pardubice, Olomouc, Liberec, Tábor, Zlín and Jihlava. The locations of the Courts is as of today's administrative division. The third level consists of two high courts ( vrchní soud ) in Prague and Olomouc. At the top are the Supreme Court ( Nejvyšší soud ČR ) and the Supreme Administrative Court ( Nejvyšší správní soud ), both based in Brno.

The county courts decide the only courts in all three branches of jurisdiction ( civil, administrative and criminal matters ). The district and high courts and the Supreme Court decide in civil and criminal matters. In the Czech Republic there are currently (except the Supreme Administrative Court ) no special dishes. In 1993, the military courts and 2000, the three district commercial courts in Prague, Brno and Ostrava were abolished.

Parties

In the Czech Republic a moderate pluralism has been established in the two ideologically different political parties dominate. On the one hand, it is the liberal-conservative Občanská demokratická strana (ODS ), on the other, the social democratic Česká strana sociálně demokratická ( CSSD ). In the ideological center is the Christian Democratic People's Party, KDU- CSL, which is capable of forming coalitions with both major parties since the 2010 elections but no longer is represented in Parliament. As a relatively strong, but crowded in the isolation party the extreme left-wing communist KSČM is regularly represented in Parliament.

The elections in 2010 have changed the political landscape and the emphasis shifts to the right politically.

Extreme left

  • Komunistická strana Čech a Moravy ( KSČM ) - Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia

Left center

  • Česká strana sociálně demokratická ( CSSD ) - Czech Social Democratic Party
  • Strana prav Občanů ZEMANOVCI - ( SPOZ ) - Party of Civil Rights
  • Národní Socialiste - levice 21 století ( LEV21 ) - Popular Socialists - Left of the 21st century

Center

  • Křesťanská a demokratická unie - Československé strana Lidová ( KDU- CSL ) - Christian and Democratic Union - Czechoslovak People's Party
  • Strana zelených (SZ ) - Green Party

Rights

  • Občanská demokratická strana (ODS ) - Civic Democratic Party
  • TOP 09 - TOP 09
  • SNK Evropští demokraté (SNK -ED ) - Association of Independent Candidates - European Democrats
  • Veci veřejné - Public Affairs
  • LIDEM - liberální demokraté ( LIDEM ) - Liberal Democrats
  • SUVERENITA - Blok Jany Bobošíkové - sovereignty - block by Jana Bobošíková

Extreme rights

  • Dělnická strana sociální Spravedlnosti (DSSS) - Workers' Party of Social Justice

Other

  • Česká strana pirátská - Czech Pirate Party
  • ANO 2011 - Action dissatisfied citizens
  • Úsvit Prime demokracie - Dawn of direct democracy

Political Culture

General characteristics of Czech political culture are pragmatism and a relatively low willingness of citizens to political commitment.

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