Senate of the Czech Republic
Encyclopedia
The Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic , usually referred to as Senát, is the upper chamber of the Parliament of the Czech Republic
. The seat of the Senate is Wallenstein Palace
in Prague
.
The senate has one President and four Vice-Presidents.. Its members participate in specialised committees and commissions.
The Senate Chancellery has been created to provide professional, organisational and technical services. The Senate occupies several historical palaces in centre of Prague, in Malá Strana
quarter. In 2005 its budget was 561.2 million CZK
.
but this veto
can be overridden by an absolute majority (i.e. at least 101 of all 200 members) of the Chamber of Deputies in a repeated vote.
Senators have, together with MP's, the right to take part in election of the President of the Republic and the judges of the Constitutional Court
, and may propose new laws. However, the Senate does not get to vote on the country budget and is not expected to supervise the executive directly, unlike the Chamber of Deputies.
The President (Speaker or Chairperson) of the Senate is the second-highest official of the Czech Republic for ceremonial purposes, after the President of the Republic, but without any real power.
together with Czechoslovakia
. Other reasons given were the positioning of the Senate as a safety device ("pojistka") correcting laws endorsed by lower chamber and as a power balancing tool against the dominance of a single party.
Due to opposition by the Civic Democratic Alliance
(who had members in ČNR, the new lower chamber, but not in the Federal Assembly) and those politicians fearing dilution of power the Senate was not set up. The first elections were held in 1996, with voter turnout around 35% (much lower than turnout for the lower chamber). Further elections were held in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006 with steadily decreasing turnout (the lowest ever was around 10%, in many constituencies below 20%).
The Senate has received criticism for being essentially powerless and unnecessary for a country of the size of the Czech Republic.
Parliament of the Czech Republic
The Parliament of the Czech Republic is the legislative body of the Czech Republic, based in Prague. It consists of two chambers, both elected in direct elections:* the Lower House: Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic...
. The seat of the Senate is Wallenstein Palace
Wallenstein Palace
Wallenstein Palace is a Baroque palace in Malá Strana, Prague, currently the home of the Czech Senate.-History:The original Palace was built in years 1623-1630 by Albrecht von Wallenstein, Duke of Mecklenburg , who made his name and fortune as the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial forces in the...
in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
.
Structure
The Senate has 81 members, elected for six years, every two years one third of them, in one-seat constituencies through two rounds majority system (the second round is between two candidates with highest number of votes from the first round – if no candidate obtains 50+% majority in the first round). A candidate for the Senate does not need to be on a political party's ticket (unlike the lower chamber).The senate has one President and four Vice-Presidents.. Its members participate in specialised committees and commissions.
The Senate Chancellery has been created to provide professional, organisational and technical services. The Senate occupies several historical palaces in centre of Prague, in Malá Strana
Malá Strana
Malá Strana is a district of the city of Prague, Czech Republic, and one of its most historic regions.The name translated into English literally means "Little Side", though it is frequently referred to as "Lesser Town", "Lesser Quarter", or "Lesser Side"...
quarter. In 2005 its budget was 561.2 million CZK
Czech koruna
The Czech koruna or Czech crown has been the currency of the Czech Republic since 8 February 1993 when, together with its Slovak counterpart, it replaced the Czechoslovak koruna at par....
.
Powers
The Senate can delay a proposed law which was approved by the Chamber of DeputiesChamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic
The Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of the Czech Republic. The seat of the Chamber of Deputies is situated in palaces in Malá Strana, Prague....
but this veto
Veto
A veto, Latin for "I forbid", is the power of an officer of the state to unilaterally stop an official action, especially enactment of a piece of legislation...
can be overridden by an absolute majority (i.e. at least 101 of all 200 members) of the Chamber of Deputies in a repeated vote.
Senators have, together with MP's, the right to take part in election of the President of the Republic and the judges of the Constitutional Court
Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic
The Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic is a specialized type of court which primarily works to protect the people of the Czech Republic against violations of the constitution. In this respect, it is similar in functionality to the US Supreme Court, but is distinct from the Supreme Court of...
, and may propose new laws. However, the Senate does not get to vote on the country budget and is not expected to supervise the executive directly, unlike the Chamber of Deputies.
The President (Speaker or Chairperson) of the Senate is the second-highest official of the Czech Republic for ceremonial purposes, after the President of the Republic, but without any real power.
History
The Senate was established in constitutional law of the Czech National Council (ČNR) No. 1/1993 on 16 December 1992.. The immediate reason for its creation was a need to find a place for members of the Federal Assembly, dissolvedDissolution of Czechoslovakia
The dissolution of Czechoslovakia, which took effect on 1 January 1993, was an event that saw the self-determined separation of the federal state of Czechoslovakia. The Czech Republic and Slovakia, entities which had arisen in 1969 within the framework of Czechoslovak federalisation, became...
together with Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
. Other reasons given were the positioning of the Senate as a safety device ("pojistka") correcting laws endorsed by lower chamber and as a power balancing tool against the dominance of a single party.
Due to opposition by the Civic Democratic Alliance
Civic Democratic Alliance
The Civic Democratic Alliance was a small liberal centre-right political party in the Czech Republic, functional between years 1989 and 2007.-History:...
(who had members in ČNR, the new lower chamber, but not in the Federal Assembly) and those politicians fearing dilution of power the Senate was not set up. The first elections were held in 1996, with voter turnout around 35% (much lower than turnout for the lower chamber). Further elections were held in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006 with steadily decreasing turnout (the lowest ever was around 10%, in many constituencies below 20%).
The Senate has received criticism for being essentially powerless and unnecessary for a country of the size of the Czech Republic.
Senators and members of the Cabinet
Members of the Senate of the Czech Republic include these:- Alexandr VondraAlexandr VondraAlexandr "Saša" Vondra is a Czech politician, who currently serves as the Senator from Litoměřice and the nation's Minister of Defence. He is also a Deputy Chairman of the Civic Democratic Party...
- Minister of Defense, former Minister of Foreign AffairsMinister of Foreign Affairs (Czech Republic)The Minister of Foreign Affairs is the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic and handles foreign policy of the Czech Republic.- Ministers of Foreign Affairs :...