The final session of the lower house of the Czech parliament ended today ahead of the forthcoming parliamentary elections on 3-4 October. The last issue on its agenda was a partnership agreement between the European Union and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS).
The EU agreement with 77 OACPS countries, which was approved by the Chamber of Deputies today, covers not only trade relations, but also human rights and measures to reduce migration. Signatory states will be obliged to take back their citizens illegally residing in another signatory state. The agreement was opposed by the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD), who argued that the partnership implies support for managed migration.
No further regular or urgent sessions have been called.
The politicians then thanked each other for their cooperation, wished each other health and success, and thanked the staff of the Chamber of Deputies Office for their work.
“It was a difficult election period,” said Chamber Speaker Marketa Pekarova Adamova (TOP 09), who will not be defending her mandate. She wished good health to all those present and their loved ones.
Chamber Vice Speaker Ales Juchelka (ANO) thanked the MPs on behalf of the lower house leadership.
“I hope we meet in better times,” said ANO parliamentary group leader Alena Schillerova said, hinting at the fact that ANO is the election favourite and likely to form the next government.
Today, the Chamber passed two remaining bills that the Senate had returned with modifications. Both bills still need to be signed by the president to become law. One bill will allow psychotherapists operating outside the healthcare sector to provide their services as a bound trade. The other one will raise lower care allowances for people with disabilities from next year.
The house also supported a Senate proposal to exempt income from the transfer of shares in companies or the sale of securities from income tax.
According to current information, MPs will not meet until after the elections at the constituent session of the newly elected Chamber of Deputies.
It will become clear on 4 October how many of the current MPs will defend their mandates.
The Chamber Speaker convened 147 meetings this term, compared to 120 meetings in the previous term. The lower house passed 360 bills, and MPs took nearly 12,000 votes.
Any pending bills that the parliament had no time to debate, for various reasons, will expire with the end of the election term. This includes the controversial designation of the Krivoklat national park west of Prague, the introduction of a register of accommodation establishments with data on guests in the eTurista system, the right of municipalities to regulate short-term accommodation in apartments, and a proposal to ban the sale and serving of energy drinks to children.
