Lower house pension cut debate into third day

A Czech lower house session discussing a government proposal to reduce the state old-age pension went into a third day on Thursday.

Opposition parties ANO and Freedom and Direct Democracy have been filibustering on procedural matters in an attempt to prevent the coalition from pushing through a reduction in the index-linking of old age pensions planned for June.

The leader of the latter party, Tomio Okamura, spoke for seven hours on Tuesday, while ANO chief Andrej Babiš delivered a three-hour address on Wednesday.

The government has a comfortable majority in the Chamber of Deputies but is under pressure to pass the legislation in time for it to take effect this year.