Pavel vetoes civil service law that curtailed his powers

Czech President Petr Pavel has vetoed a new civil service law, saying it was passed without standard consultation procedures and proper professional debate. The president's office announced the decision, explaining the head of state's reasoning.

According to Pavel, the reform weakens guarantees of a professional and politically neutral civil service and reduces protections for senior officials against political pressure. The president noted that during the Babiš government's term, he signed 20 laws and vetoed only one — precisely because of a lack of proper consultation and impact assessment. "I have to wonder why the government isn't following standard procedure," Pavel said, stressing that the civil service must remain resilient to political pressure.

"I cannot accept a situation where the state dismisses officials simply because a new government took office after elections," the president said, summing up his main objection to the bill.

Dispute over the right to appoint diplomats

Pavel also spoke out against an amendment that would strip the president of the power to appoint heads of the Czech Republic's permanent missions to international organizations. "This is something the Constitution entrusts to the head of state. It cannot simply be taken away," the president said, noting his duty to safeguard constitutional powers not only for himself but for future successors.

The amendment restricting presidential powers was introduced by MP Libor Vondráček (Free Bloc within SPD), and would transfer this authority to the foreign minister.

What the civil service reform would have changed

The bill's authors sought to bring civil service employment closer to standard hiring practices and allow more flexibility in personnel decisions. Critics, however, warned of the risk of politicizing the state apparatus and of large-scale staff purges every time a new government takes power.

The opposition has already said it is prepared to challenge the law before the Constitutional Court. The amendment now returns to the Chamber of Deputies, which can override the presidential veto — following the same procedure parliament used earlier to overcome the Senate's veto.

That same Thursday, Pavel also signed other documents — an amendment to the construction law aimed at speeding up building permit procedures, and a law reinstating electronic sales records. The president has reservations about the construction law, submitted as a parliamentary initiative, as well, but decided to give the reform a chance.

Source: novinky.cz