Czech politics and institutions glossary: who is who in the state

A Czech news bulletin can use five words for one thing and one word for five. Hrad (the Castle) means the president's office, Strakovka the seat of the government and Sněmovna the lower house, and none is the building you would guess from the English. This glossary is for readers who follow Czech politics in translation and want the vocabulary to match the institutions.

It covers terms, not people. For current office-holders, use the official portals; they are the only sources that are never out of date.

The top of the state

The prezident is head of state, directly elected since 2013. Hrad (Prague Castle) is shorthand for the presidential office, much as "Downing Street" is in Britain. The role and powers are covered in how the Czech president is chosen.

The vláda is the government, the executive body, headed by the předseda vlády (prime minister), often shortened to premiér. A ministr is a minister, a místopředseda vlády a deputy prime minister and a ministerstvo a ministry. The Úřad vlády is the Office of the Government, a staff body serving the cabinet. Strakova akademie, called Strakovka, is the building on the Vltava embankment where the government sits. How governments come into being is in how a Czech government is formed.

Demise is resignation, and a government that stays on in the interim is a vláda v demisi, a caretaker government. Vyslovení důvěry is a confidence vote and vyslovení nedůvěry a vote of no confidence.

Parliament

The Parlament has two chambers. The Poslanecká sněmovna (Chamber of Deputies) has 200 members, the poslanci. The Senát (Senate) has 81, the senátoři. The lower house is the dominant one, as we explain in Czech parliament explained.

A zákon is a law and a novela an amendment to an existing law. A návrh zákona is a bill. The Sbírka zákonů is the Collection of Laws, where statutes must be published to take effect; "no. 1/1993 Coll." for the Constitution refers to it. A vyhláška is a ministerial decree and a nařízení vlády a government regulation.

A výbor is a committee, a schůze a sitting and an interpelace a formal question put by deputies to ministers. Imunita is the parliamentary immunity that deputies and senators hold under the Constitution. Koalice and opozice are the coalition and the opposition. Hnutí (movement) is how a number of parties describe themselves rather than calling themselves a strana; see how the party landscape is organised.

Volby are elections, a volební kraj is an electoral region for the lower house and a preferenční hlas a preferential vote for a candidate on a party list. Details are in how Czech elections work. A referendum is a vote on a question. The only national referendum so far was on EU accession in 2003; the rest is covered in referendums and direct democracy.

Courts and watchdogs

The Ústavní soud is the Constitutional Court, in Brno. The Nejvyšší soud is the Supreme Court, also in Brno, for civil and criminal cases. The Nejvyšší správní soud is the Supreme Administrative Court, which hears disputes over administrative decisions. Okresní soud, krajský soud and vrchní soud are the district, regional and high courts. More in how the judiciary is structured and the Constitutional Court explainer.

The státní zastupitelství is the public prosecution service, headed by the nejvyšší státní zástupce (Supreme Public Prosecutor). Policie ČR is the national police and Městská policie the municipal police, with more limited powers.

The Nejvyšší kontrolní úřad (NKÚ) is the Supreme Audit Office, which audits the use of public money. The veřejný ochránce práv is the Ombudsman, who deals with complaints about maladministration. The Česká národní banka (ČNB) is the central bank, constitutionally independent. The Úřad pro ochranu osobních údajů is the data protection authority. The Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže (ÚOHS) is the competition authority, which also hears public procurement appeals.

Regions, cities and districts

A kraj is a region, led by an elected hejtman, with an assembly called the zastupitelstvo kraje. An obec is a municipality, led by a starosta (mayor). A statutární město is a statutory city with a more elaborate structure, led by a primátor. Prague is both a region and a municipality, led by a primátor, with a Magistrát (City Hall) and a zastupitelstvo (assembly). Our guide to how Prague is governed and the explainer on regions and municipalities show how the layers fit.

A městská část is a city district, such as Praha 7, with its own elected council and starosta. The úřad městské části is the district office where most residents handle everyday paperwork. The rada is the executive board of a municipality or region, and the zastupitelstvo the elected assembly that appoints and oversees it.

Public administration

An úřad is an office, a magistrát a city office and a krajský úřad a regional office. The správní řád is the Code of Administrative Procedure, which sets out how authorities must handle your application, including deadlines and the right to appeal (odvolání). A datová schránka is the official electronic mailbox through which authorities send legally binding documents.

Czech POINT is the network of branches where citizens and residents can obtain official extracts and certified documents. The Portál občana is the citizen's portal for online services, tied to a digital identity.

When a news item uses a word that is not here, search for it on the public administration portal first, then on the institution's own site. Its English page is usually the safest gloss.