Parliament of the Czech Republic

Parliament of the Czech Republic
Parlament České republiky
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
Bicameral
Houses – Senate
– Chamber of Deputies
Leadership
President of
the Senate
Milan Štěch, ČSSD
since 24 November 2010
Jan Hamáček, ČSSD
since 27 November 2013
Structure
Seats 281
- 81 Senators
- 200 Deputies
Senate
political groups
Chamber of
Deputies
political groups
  •      ČSSD (50 seats)
  •      ANO (47 seats)
  •      KSČM (33 seats)
  •      TOP 09+STAN (26 seats)
  •      ODS (16 seats)
  •      KDU-ČSL (14 seats)
  •      UPD (11 seats)
    •
  •      Independents (3)
Elections
Two-round system
Chamber of
Deputies
voting system
 Proportional representation
Senate
last election
 10–11 October 2014
17–18 October 2014
Chamber of
Deputies
last election
 25–26 October 2013
Meeting place
Palaces in Malá Strana, Prague
Website
Senate
Chamber of Deputies
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The Parliament (Czech: Parlament) is the legislative body of the Czech Republic, seated in Prague.

It consists of two chambers, both elected in direct elections:

Art. 15 of the Constitution stipulates its name as the "Parliament".[1] The Parliament exercises competences usual in parliamentary systems: it holds and passes bills, has the right to modify the Constitution, ratifies international agreements; if necessary, it declares war, approves presence of foreign military forces in the Czech Republic or a dispatch of Czech military forces abroad.

History

Session room of the Chamber of Deputies

The tradition of modern parliamentarianism in the Bohemian lands dates back to times of the Habsburg Empire (Austria, then Cisleithanian part of Austria-Hungary), where the Imperial Council (Reichsrat, Říšská rada) was created in 1861.

After proclamation of Czechoslovakia in 1918 its National Assembly undertook legislative duties both of the Imperial Council and State Diets (Bohemian, Moravian, Silesian).[2] In 1938-1939 and between 1945 and 1990 there existed a parliament within non-democratic regimes. As a consequence of federalization of Czechoslovakia (1968), national councils of Czech and Slovak parts of the country were created.

The Chamber of Deputies keeps continuity with the Czech National Council, while the Senate was established in 1996 (with reference to the First Czechoslovak Republic one).

References

  1. ↑ http://www.hrad.cz/en/czech-republic/constitution-of-the-cr.shtml
  2. ↑ Balík, S.-Hloušek, V.-Holzer, J.-Šedo, J.: Politický systém českých zemí 1848-1989. Brno 2006, p. 81.
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