Government to propose extending state of emergency to end of May

The Czech government has decided to extend the ongoing state of emergency, enacted in order to help manage the Ukrainian refugee crisis, until the end of May, Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday evening. The proposal will now have to be approved by the Chamber of Deputies. The state of emergency has been in effect since March 4.

Interior Minister Vít Rakušan had originally proposed extending it by 90 days. He described the government’s decision as a compromise and said that it cannot be said precisely when it will be necessary to no longer require a state of emergency.

Extending the state of emergency will be discussed by the Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday.