Ruling Coalition Aims to Override President's Veto on Budget Rules

The Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament has once again taken up the contested amendment to the budget rules — this time after President Petr Pavel vetoed it. The bill had already been sent back once by the Senate, but the ruling coalition managed to overcome that objection from the upper house as well. This means deputies are now debating the changes for the third time.

"We're not in the same situation as last time. New circumstances have emerged since the last vote — namely, the president's detailed position on the matter," TOP 09 caucus leader Jan Jakob said at Tuesday's session.

Fifty Amendments and a Day-Long Debate

The actual vote didn't take place that day: deputies spent ten hours arguing over the session's agenda, with opposition representatives tabling around fifty additional items, many of them related to the drought. The ruling majority rejected these proposals. That left deputies with barely an hour to discuss the bill itself, and the session was pushed to Wednesday.

Despite opposition criticism, the coalition is confident it can override the veto. "We'll have enough votes," Finance Minister Alena Schillerová (ANO) assured.

A Dispute Over How Strict the Rules Should Be

Schillerová insists the current budget rules are too restrictive for the government. "We don't want to draw up dishonest budgets the way you did — that's exactly why we're proposing this law. All you're capable of is insults — one moment I'm a broken calculator, the next a bank robber," the minister said, responding to criticism from Civic Democratic Party deputy Jan Skopeček.

The government maintains the changes are necessary given its investment plans. The opposition, however, points to problematic wording, arguing the amendment will lead to faster, less controlled growth in public debt while expanding the finance minister's powers at the expense of the Chamber of Deputies.

The bill had previously drawn criticism not only from the president and the Senate but also from the National Budget Council and leading Czech economists, who warned that the changes would jeopardize responsible management of public finances. The president vetoed the law on July 22, 2026, and on July 28 the government used its parliamentary majority to push the budget law changes through anyway, disregarding expert criticism and the Senate's rejection, without incorporating any amendments to address the risks that had been raised.

Read also: Savings Accounts in Czechia: 2026 Bank Rates

Source: seznamzpravy.cz