Chamber of Deputies Overrides Senate Veto, Passes Civil Service Law

The Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament has re-approved the civil service law, overriding a Senate veto. The measure was backed by 104 of the 173 deputies present, with support coming from the ruling ANO movement, the SPD party and the Motorists (Auto) party. The bill will now go to President Petr Pavel for signature.

The Senate had previously blocked the legislation, citing risks that it could politicize the state apparatus. Speaking on behalf of the Senate, Adéla Šipová Suchardová of the SEN21 and Pirates caucus noted that because the bill was introduced as a deputies' initiative, it bypassed a full impact assessment — meaning senators had no chance to properly evaluate the real risks, objections, or budgetary costs involved. Among the concerns raised were the abolition of the post of Senior State Secretary, the weakening of service commissions, and the expansion of ministers' powers over civil servants.

According to Šipová, the current civil service law is far from perfect and needs revision — particularly regarding pay and career-advancement guarantees for officials. In her view, however, the new bill only deepens these problems.

Arguments from Reform Supporters

"I respect the Senate and its objections, but I am convinced that the Czech Republic needs a more modern and flexible state administration, not a preservation of the current system," said Radek Vondráček (ANO), speaking on behalf of the bill's authors. He explained that the law brings civil servants' labor relations closer to standard employment rules, largely shifting them under the Labor Code — similar to the regime already applied to regional and municipal officials. Vondráček called the shift from public-law to private-law status the only way to make the state apparatus more efficient.

Pirate Party deputy Kateřina Stojanová said the approach taken to civil service reform "inspires no confidence," warning that the final version of the law raises serious concerns about the politicization of the state apparatus. She argued that the bill's constitutionality should be reviewed by the Constitutional Court. The Senate's position also found support during the debate from Karel Dvořák (STAN), who nevertheless acknowledged that the civil service genuinely needs modernizing. According to him, the coalition-backed bill weakens a number of guarantees meant to ensure the professionalism and stability of the civil service.

What Changes in Practice

Among other things, the bill abolishes the so-called "pool" arrangement — a three-month period during which dismissed officials received up to four-fifths of their salary. This will now be replaced by a lump-sum severance payment instead. In addition, if a position is eliminated as part of a staff reorganization, the state will be able to part ways with the official immediately.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz