Senate convenes for first session since elections

The Senate convened today for the first time after the September elections. Senators elected the speaker and deputy chairs of the upper chamber, and decided on the make-up of its various committees. In line with an agreement reached between the senators' clubs, Miloš Vystrčil of the Civic Democrats was re-elected Speaker of the Senate, while Jiří Drahoš from the Mayors and Independents, Jiří Oberfalzer from the Civic Democrats and Jitka Seitlová from the Christian Democratic Part were elected deputy chairs. Although the opposition ANO party won eight of the 27 seats up for grabs in the September elections, the candidates linked to the coalition won 15 seats, meaning that the ruling parties retained their majority in the 81-seat upper chamber.