Opposition files complaint with Constitutional Court over new budget rules

Czech opposition parties have filed a joint complaint with the Constitutional Court against an amendment to the budget rules that the Chamber of Deputies passed by overriding President Petr Pavel's veto. Pirates leader Zdeněk Hřib announced this at a briefing of opposition leaders immediately after the parliamentary vote.

"We see a number of flaws in the approach chosen by the coalition. That is why we, the opposition parties, are jointly filing a complaint with the Constitutional Court," Hřib said. According to him, the objections concern both procedural and substantive issues: not all deputies were given the opportunity to speak, and Hřib himself was unable to address the chamber despite being officially registered for the debate. In addition, the opposition believes the matter involves a violation of the separation of powers.

What troubles the opposition and the president

Like the president, opposition lawmakers are concerned in particular about the provision allowing the government to increase approved spending by up to ten percent without prior approval from the Chamber of Deputies if the security situation deteriorates.

The opposition also argues that the amendment weakens fiscal constraints and will lead to a rise in the deficit and public debt. "The higher debts the government has chosen mean one thing: a worse future," said ODS chairman Martin Kupka. "It's absolutely clear that Andrej Babiš's government is stealing a better future from every resident of the Czech Republic," he said, explaining the opposition's resistance.

According to Kupka, the ruling coalition is ignoring the reaction of both economists and the opposition. "The Constitutional Court is the last resort where we can seek protection against the plundering of the Czech Republic," he said, adding that the government has taken the path of "gravediggers of the budget" while simultaneously encroaching on the constitutional order. Leaders of the other opposition parties — TOP 09, STAN and KDU-ČSL — expressed similar views.

The government's position

Representatives of the ruling camp disagree with these claims. Finance Minister Alena Schillerová (ANO) explained the government's position by saying it needs updated rules to draft a responsible, realistic and transparent budget.

The Finance Ministry's new fiscal plan envisions a budget deficit of 2.8% of GDP by 2027. According to Schillerová, the deficit will be higher than the current 310 billion crowns but lower than 400 billion, and should fall to 1.2% of GDP by 2030. In her view, the current rules are too rigid.

Among other things, the bill will allow the government to increase defence spending for several years longer than is currently permitted, with a similar arrangement applying to strategic infrastructure projects. In addition, in certain cases the government will gain the right to change the budgets of individual chapters without prior approval from the budget committee.

The Presidential Office also commented on the situation. "The arguments of the president of the republic that prompted him to veto the law remain valid. He expected the government to respond to them substantively during the debate in the Chamber of Deputies. That did not happen. The chamber's decision did not surprise him, and he respects it," said Castle spokesman Daniel Drake.

Source: novinky.cz