How the Czech state works: a president, a government and two chambers

A Czech prime minister is appointed by the president and survives only as long as the Chamber of Deputies is willing to trust him or her. The highest courts sit in Brno, not Prague. The upper house can never be dissolved. Foreigners who have lived here for a few years tend to know the names of the players without knowing how the pieces fit, and the answer, as usual, is in the Constitution.

This is an explainer on the institutional design, not a commentary on whoever holds office. For current office-holders and election results, go to the official portals.

The framework

Czechia has been an independent state since 1 January 1993, when Czechoslovakia split. The Constitution (no. 1/1993 Coll.) was adopted by the Czech National Council in December 1992 and describes a sovereign, unitary, democratic state governed by the rule of law. It is a parliamentary republic, with power divided among legislative, executive and judicial branches.

The Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms forms part of the constitutional order and sets out civil, political, economic and social rights. Czechia joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004, and EU law operates within the domestic legal order.

The president

The president is head of state. Since 2013 the office has been filled by direct popular vote, in a two-round system, for a five-year term, with no more than two consecutive terms (as of 2026; check the official source). Before 2013 parliament chose the president.

The Constitution defines the powers. The president appoints the prime minister and, on the prime minister's proposal, the other ministers. The president appoints Constitutional Court judges with the Senate's consent, signs laws, can return a bill to parliament with comments (a limited veto that parliament can override), commands the armed forces and appoints ambassadors.

Many presidential acts need the countersignature of the prime minister or a minister, which ties the office to the government. The president does not answer to parliament in the ordinary way, but the Senate, with the consent of the Chamber of Deputies, can bring charges before the Constitutional Court for high treason or a serious breach of the constitutional order.

The government

The government is the highest body of executive power: the prime minister, deputy prime ministers and ministers. After a parliamentary election the president appoints a prime minister, and the government must win a vote of confidence in the Chamber of Deputies. If it fails, the process starts again, and the Constitution gives the Chamber a growing say in who ends up forming the government.

The government is accountable to the Chamber, which can pass a vote of no confidence and force it to resign. The ministries run areas such as finance, the interior and foreign affairs, and their English-language pages are often the best source of procedure for foreign residents.

Parliament

Parliament has two chambers. The Chamber of Deputies (Poslanecká sněmovna) has 200 members elected for four years by proportional representation. It is the dominant chamber: it votes the state budget, passes laws and gives or withholds confidence in the government.

The Senate (Senát) has 81 members, elected in single-member districts under a two-round majority system for six years. A third of the Senate is renewed every two years, so it is never dissolved as a whole. It can reject or amend bills from the Chamber, but in most cases the Chamber can override it by an absolute majority of all deputies. The Senate speaks louder on constitutional laws, which need qualified majorities in both chambers, and on certain appointments, Constitutional Court judges among them. The Chamber can be dissolved in the circumstances the Constitution lists, such as repeated failure to form a government. The Senate cannot.

The courts

The judiciary is independent. Ordinary courts handle civil and criminal cases, arranged in district, regional and high courts, with the Supreme Court in Brno at the top. The Supreme Administrative Court, also in Brno, hears cases on administrative decisions. Judges are appointed by the president.

The Constitutional Court (Ústavní soud), also seated in Brno, reviews whether laws comply with the constitutional order and hears constitutional complaints from individuals who say a public authority violated their fundamental rights. It has 15 judges, appointed by the president with the Senate's consent, for ten-year terms (as of 2026; check the official source). Putting the top courts in Brno was partly a deliberate decentralisation. Other bodies check public power too: the Supreme Audit Office examines public finances, and the Ombudsman handles complaints against administrative authorities.

Regions and municipalities

Below the state sits self-government. Czechia has 13 regions (kraje) plus the capital, Prague, which is both a region and a municipality. Regions have elected assemblies and a governor (hejtman) and handle matters such as regional roads and secondary schools. Municipalities have elected councils and a mayor and manage local services, planning and local taxes. Prague is divided into districts with their own elected bodies, which is why Prague residents deal with both City Hall and a district office.

Local authorities also carry out tasks for the state under delegated powers. Trade licensing and building permits run through local offices, for example.

How a bill becomes law

The path is worth knowing because the chambers are not equals. A bill normally begins in the Chamber of Deputies, which debates and votes it. It then goes to the Senate, which can approve it, reject it or return it with amendments. In most cases the Chamber can override a Senate rejection by an absolute majority of all deputies, which is why the Chamber is the dominant house. The president then signs the law, or returns it to parliament with comments, a limited veto that parliament can override.

Constitutional laws follow a different route, with qualified majorities in both chambers, and that is where the Senate speaks loudest. For a resident the practical lesson is that a controversial change is rarely decided in a single place, and that news of a vote in one chamber is only part of the story. The government proposes many laws, but only parliament passes them.

Why it matters to residents

A Prague resident meets the state at several levels without noticing. A residence permit comes from a ministry, a trade licence from a municipal office, a child's school from a municipal or regional authority, tax from the Financial Administration. EU citizens living in Czechia may vote in municipal and European Parliament elections, but not in national ones; check the current rules for your own case.

Open the Czech public administration portal, find the page for the institution that handles your current paperwork, and note which level of the state it belongs to. Knowing which branch you are dealing with makes it far easier to know who can actually change a decision.

Frequently asked questions

Who elects the Czech president?

Since 2013, the voters directly, in a two-round system, for a five-year term with no more than two consecutive terms (as of 2026; check the official source). Before 2013 parliament chose the president.

Where do the highest courts sit?

In Brno: the Supreme Court, the Supreme Administrative Court and the Constitutional Court.

Can EU citizens living in Czechia vote?

In municipal and European Parliament elections, but not in national ones. Check the current rules for your own case.

Is Prague a region?

Prague is both a region and a municipality, so residents deal with both City Hall and a district office.