The Senate Office will pay a total of CZK 8.25 million in severance pay to eleven former senators who did not seek re-election or failed to retain their seat in the 2026 elections. The figure was given to the Czech News Agency on 19 October 2026 by Andrea Kubová of the Senate press department.[1]
Under the law, severance pay amounts to five times the senator's last monthly salary, provided they served in the upper house for at least four years. The basic monthly salary of a lawmaker is CZK 138,400. The highest amount, roughly one-eighth of the total, is to go to former Deputy Speaker of the Senate Jitka Seitlová (KDU-ČSL), whose salary was CZK 219,300, meaning her severance pay will reach about CZK 1.1 million. Jiří Vosecký (formerly of SLK) and Miroslava Němcová (ODS) are to receive CZK 809,000 each. The remaining eight people will each receive CZK 692,000.[1]
These senators' full-fledged tenure ended on 10 October 2026. The money will be paid out in the January pay period, i.e. three months after the end of their mandate. If they apply for the severance pay earlier, they will receive half the amount as an advance. The entitlement lapses if, within three months, they take up another position covered by the act on the salaries of constitutional officials.[1][2]
Until the end of the previous term, Seitlová was the longest-serving senator: she sat in the Senate from 1996 to 2007 and again from 2014. The record then passed to Jiří Oberfalzer and Tomáš Jirsa (both ODS), who have been senators continuously since November 2004. Their term ends in 2028, and completing it will match the record of Milan Štěch, who was a senator from 1996 to 2020.[1]
Related entries: ODS, Petr Fiala, Senate of the Czech Republic
Second round of the Senate elections
The second round of the Senate elections was held on Friday 16 and Saturday 17 October 2026. Voting took place in 22 constituencies; in five other constituencies where elections were held this year, senators had already been elected in the first round.[3]
According to the Czech News Agency, one of the questions at stake was whether the second-largest senatorial faction would be the STAN caucus or the ANO movement's caucus. About 2.25 million people were eligible to vote. Turnout in the first round, held together with the municipal elections, was 43.31 percent; turnout in the second round is usually less than half that. Results were to be published by the Czech Statistical Office after polling stations closed on Saturday. Voters were expected to include Deputy Prime Minister Petr Macinka (Motoristé), STAN chairman Vít Rakušan, and TOP 09 chairman Matěj Ondřej Havel.[3]
Criticism of Senator Lumír Aschenbrenner
Ahead of the second round of the Senate elections in Plzeň, in the Plzeň-město constituency, a billboard appeared showing ODS senator Lumír Aschenbrenner endorsing ANO movement candidate Lucie Kantorová. Petr Fiala (ODS) said on social media on 13 October 2026 that he had seen the billboard, did not understand it and found it unacceptable, and expressed hope that the ODS leadership would look into it.[4]
According to FORUM 24 and iDNES.cz, ODS chairman Martin Kupka said that Aschenbrenner had stated in a video that he would not endorse anyone in the second round, so the appearance of the billboard surprised him and he disagreed with it.[4][5]
Aschenbrenner has been a senator since 2014 and was mayor of the Plzeň district of Slovany for nearly thirty years. He finished third in the first round of this year's elections, with 20.10 percent of the vote. The second round was contested by former Chief of the General Staff Karel Řehka (STAN), with 32.86 percent, and Kantorová, with 27.26 percent.[4][5]
On Monday 12 October 2026, Aschenbrenner told the news server REGIONPLZEN.CZ that he would not endorse anyone, and denied that this reflected an inability to accept defeat or a leaning toward ANO.[4][5]
Expectations ahead of the second round
According to the Czech News Agency, voters in the second round did not receive ballots with the finalists' names in their mailboxes but picked them up at polling stations.[3]
The Czech News Agency reported that the strongest grouping entitled to nominate the Speaker of the upper house would likely remain the joint ODS and TOP 09 caucus; the possibility that it could be overtaken by the ANO faction was considered theoretical given the first-round results. It said KDU-ČSL was expected to retain its position as the fourth-largest faction.[3]
Chronology
- — The Senate of the Czech Republic will pay former senators a total of 8.25 million crowns in severance pay. ČTK / České noviny Blesk.cz
- — The second round of the Senate elections began in Czechia, deciding on new senators in 22 districts; voting continues on Saturday. ČTK / České noviny
- — On 13 October 2026 ODS chairman Petr Fiala criticised a senator of his party for supporting an ANO movement candidate in the Senate elections. iDNES.cz FORUM 24
Sources
- ČTK / České noviny — 19 October 2026
- Blesk.cz — 19 October 2026
- ČTK / České noviny — 16 October 2026
- FORUM 24 — 13 October 2026
- iDNES.cz — 13 October 2026