Chamber of Deputies approves controversial coalition change to rules for employing civil servants

A law aimed at making it easier to replace civil servants and bringing the rules of their employment closer to the Labour Code was approved today by the Chamber of Deputies with votes from ruling coalition lawmakers.

The opposition, as expected, failed to push through a rejection of the bill, which it says politicizes the civil service and prioritizes loyalty over expertise.

The current Civil Service Act, which aims to depoliticize the civil service, has been in force since 2015. The Czech Republic was required to adopt it under European Union rules to ensure the neutrality and independence of decision-making within the state administration.