Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic Senát Parlamentu České republiky | |
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| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | 18 December 1996 |
| Leadership | |
Vice-President | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 81 |
 | |
Political groups | Caretaker Government Support (60)
Opposition (21)
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| Committees | 10 Committees |
| Elections | |
| Two-round system Staggered elections | |
Last election | 20-21 September and 27-28 September 2024 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Wallenstein Palace,Prague | |
| Website | |
| www | |
TheSenate (Czech:Senát Parlamentu České republiky,lit. 'Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic') is theupper house of theParliament of the Czech Republic. The seat of the Senate isWallenstein Palace inPrague.
The Senate has 81 members, chosen in single-seat constituencies through thetwo-round system. If no candidate receives a majority of votes in the first round, there is a second round between the two highest-placed candidates. Theterm of office for Senators is six years, and elections arestaggered so that a third of the seats are up for election every two years. A candidate for the Senate does not need to be on a political party's ticket (unlike in theChamber of Deputies).
The Senate has one President and four Vice-presidents.[1] Its members participate in specialised committees and commissions.[2][3] The Senate Chancellery has been created to provide professional, organisational and technical services. The Senate occupies several historical palaces in centre of Prague, inMalá Strana quarter. In 2005 its budget was 561.2 millionCZK.
The Senate can delay a proposed law which was approved by the Chamber of Deputies but thisveto can be overridden by a majority (i.e. at least 101 of all 200 members) of the Chamber of Deputies in a repeated vote. If the Senate proposes amendments, Chamber of deputies may approve it with a simple majority or override it with absolute majority. The Senate, however, cannot be overridden when it votes onelectoral law,constitutional law and oninternational treaties.
The Senate decides on confirmation of judges of theConstitutional Court, proposed by thePresident. It often uses this power to block unacceptable nominants and may propose new laws. However, the Senate does not get to vote on the country's budget or onconfidence in the government, unlike the Chamber of Deputies.
ThePresident of the Senate is the second-highest official of the Czech Republic for ceremonial purposes, after the President of the Republic, but the position does not confer much political power.
The existence of the chamber has been criticised, including by prominent politicians of the country:
Supporters of the Senate argue that it provides protection against majority government coming to power in a "wave of populism".[4]
Political scientistJiří Pehe believes the abolition of the Senate to be "very unlikely", because the members "would have to agree to its own abolition and it would have to be done with a constitutional majority".[4]
The Senate was established in constitutional law of the Czech National Council (ČNR) No. 1/1993 on 16 December 1992.[5] The immediate reason for its creation was a need to find a place for members of the Federal Assembly,dissolved together withCzechoslovakia. 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, especially regarding constitution and electoral law.Due to opposition by theCivic Democratic Alliance (who had members in theCzech National Council, which became the Chamber of Deputies under the new Constitution, 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 accordance with the Constitution every two years after that.
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