Czech government backs putting the koruna in the constitution

The Czech government has approved a draft amendment that would enshrine the Czech koruna in the constitution. The proposal would add a new Article 98 to the basic law: “The currency of the Czech Republic is the Czech koruna.”

“It is a strong political gesture,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Alena Schillerová (ANO) after the cabinet meeting. According to her, the bill by MPs Boris Šťastný, Petr Macinka, Filip Turek (all Motorists for Themselves) and Tomio Okamura (SPD) is in line with the government's policy statement.

The authors argue that the proposed provision does not ban the adoption of a single European currency and does not mean that Czechia will not adopt it. They also say the amendment will have no impact on the business environment, although the Confederation of Industry and Transport firmly opposed it.

Within the cabinet, only the environment and foreign ministries, headed by nominees of the Motorists, gave supportive opinions.

According to Macinka, joining the eurozone would profoundly affect Czech society. He and his colleagues therefore decided to amend the constitution: even a possible switch to the euro would require a constitutional majority and would be possible not through ordinary swings in public mood, but through a broad societal consensus.

Amending the constitution requires a three-fifths majority in both chambers of parliament. The current governing coalition does not have one.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz