Pavel signs law limiting obstruction tactics in Czech parliament

Czech President Petr Pavel has signed an amendment to the Chamber of Deputies' rules of procedure aimed at curbing the obstruction tactics that have long stalled the debate and passage of legislation. Both coalition and opposition parties had acknowledged the need for such a reform.

The bill that ultimately passed was drafted jointly by ANO, SPD, Motoristé sobě and ODS. Its main innovation is a restriction on the practice of endlessly proposing changes to the meeting agenda, a tactic lawmakers have used for years to drag out votes.

What will change in how the Chamber operates

Deputies with priority speaking rights will be limited to half an hour at the start of a session, while other MPs will get just five minutes to justify their proposals. On subsequent days of the same session, these time limits will shrink further — to ten minutes for deputies with priority rights and two minutes for everyone else. The restrictions will also apply to speeches during general debate, though the time allotted for voting in the third reading will actually be extended.

A second amendment on consumer protection

Last week the Senate decided not to review this bill, sending it straight to the president for signature. Alongside it, Pavel also signed another amendment strengthening consumer rights protections in distance contracts, particularly those concluded online. The measure transposes an EU directive into Czech law that, among other things, requires websites to include a dedicated button for unilaterally terminating a contract.

Source: novinky.cz