Czech Republic

Czech legislators plan power transfer, as Zeman unable to perform presidential duties

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Czech President Milos Zeman – who was hospitalised on 10 October, the morning after the general election – remains incapable of performing his official duties and could now have his powers removed to enable the formation of new cabinet. Opposition politicians are now discussing triggering Article 66 of the Constitution, which transfers presidential powers to the prime minister and the speakers of both parliamentary chambers.

Czech Speaker Milos Vystrcil said it is unlikely that Zeman will be able to fulfil his duties for several weeks, citing a report from the Prague Central Military Hospital where he is convalescing. As one of the presidential duties is appointing prime ministers – and outgoing premier Andrej Babis has said he will cede power after disappointing election results – the opposition parties are now moving with urgency.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that presidential office head Vratislav Mynar was made aware of the severity of Zeman’s condition on 13 October, but withheld that information.

Sources: France24, Al Jazeera, Euractiv

CET Editor

Recent Posts

A Trumping new reality – CET opinion

One of the most disappointing characteristics of our 21st Century is that while we live…

1 day ago

Poland PM urges defence spending hikes as Baltics cut ties with Russian electricity grid

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called on European leaders to increase their defence spending while maintaining close ties…

4 days ago

Kos floats speedy EU accession for Albania, Montenegro

The Munich Security Conference ended on a cautiously positive note for EU candidate countries Albania…

4 days ago

EU looks to Greece for critical raw materials

Greece is poised to become a key player in the EU’s efforts to secure critical…

5 days ago

Poland FM backs Ukraine, but rejects EU army idea

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski stressed the necessity of European involvement in any peace talks…

5 days ago

‘Poland: growth leader in Europe and the world’- FM proclaims on 2024 data

Poland’s economy emerged as a regional standout in 2024, recording a GDP growth of 2.9%,…

2 weeks ago