Opposition parties announced on 13 October 2026, before a sitting of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, that they want to turn to the Constitutional Court over the civil servants act; according to MP Kateřina Stojanová, the Czech Pirate Party is finalising the filing.
_(02).jpg)
Before an extraordinary sitting of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, at which a decision on overriding the veto by President Petr Pavel of the civil servants act was due on Wednesday 14 October 2026, opposition politicians announced on 13 October 2026 that they were preparing a filing to the Constitutional Court. The governing coalition of ANO, SPD and Motoristé sobě has the majority in the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic needed to override the veto.[1]
Filing to the Constitutional Court
Kateřina Stojanová, an MP and deputy chair of the Czech Pirate Party, told reporters that the Czech Pirate Party is finalising the constitutional filing and that, according to her, representatives of TOP 09 and Starostové will join it. The judges are to assess the change in the constitutional mechanisms protecting civil servants. Stojanová described it as the government's intention to weaken the independence of the state administration and to abolish mechanisms that had depoliticised it.[1] According to iDNES.cz, ODS is also considering joining the constitutional complaint, because of the interference with the powers of the head of state.[2]
Starostové MP Karel Dvořák described as unconstitutional the related amendment under which the president would lose the power to appoint and dismiss heads of permanent missions to international organisations. An amendment proposal by MP Libor Vondráček (SPD) transfers this power to the foreign minister.[1][2]
Opposition positions
TOP 09 chairman Matěj Ondřej Havel said that the party does not want to block proceedings in the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic but wants to express its position. According to him, the civil service act, which is due to be replaced from November, prevents officials from being placed under political influence. Havel called the plan a “hijacking of the state” and voiced concern about personnel changes at offices similar to those at the Úřad vlády České republiky. The number of posts there fell from 643 to 440, according to a September statement by its head Tünde Bartha to the Czech News Agency.[1][2]
Starostové chairman Vít Rakušan said that the government wants to bring officials under the direct will of politicians, and mentioned Prime Minister Andrej Babiš's effort to reduce the number of officials from January. ODS chairman Martin Kupka called the new act a missed opportunity to reform the state administration.[1][2]
Position of the coalition and the president
MP Libor Vondráček (SPD/Svobodní) said that the state administration is ossified and that the coalition expects the change to bring a more efficient functioning of the state and savings.[1] The act is meant to bring the employment of civil servants closer to an ordinary employment relationship, which will be governed mainly by the Labour Code.[3] When vetoing the act, President Petr Pavel said that it goes against the European Commission's recommendation to better protect senior officials from political interference, and that the state should have a professional and neutral administration.[1]
Related articles: Constitutional Court, Czech Pirate Party, Starostové, TOP 09
Chronology
- — Opposition parties announced that they want to turn to the Constitutional Court over the law on civil servants; according to Pirates MP Kateřina Stojanová, the Pirates are preparing the submission, and TOP 09 and Starostové are to join. ČTK / České noviny iDNES.cz
Sources
- ČTK / České noviny — 13 October 2026
- iDNES.cz — 13 October 2026
- FORUM 24 — 13 October 2026