Efektivní sněmovna, nebo umlčená opozice?
Efficient Parliament or Silenced Opposition?

Summary/Abstract: Building on existing legal scholarship and recent developments in judicial and parliamentary practice, this article examines the phenomenon of parliamentary obstruction in the Czech Republic. It focuses in particular on the context of the 9th electoral term of the Chamber of Deputies (2021–2025), which was characterised, inter alia, by the frequent use of obstructionist tactics by opposition members of parliament. This development also prompted a response from the Constitutional Court, which repeatedly called on the legislature to amend the Rules of Procedure of the Chamber of Deputies and to give effect to the constitutional principles of majority rule and minority protection enshrined in Article 6 of the Constitution. The article presents the relevant rulings of the Constitutional Court, including its most recent judgments, and argues—in line with this case law—that obstruction should not be viewed as an isolated phenomenon but as a symptom of deeper structural problems affecting the functioning of the Chamber of Deputies. These stem not only from the limited ability of the governing majority to effectively exercise its power but also from the restricted opportunities of the opposition to shape the parliamentary agenda. The analysis supports this conclusion by comparing the Czech regulation with international standards on opposition rights formulated by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. From this perspective, the article examines two legislative proposals introduced in response to the crisis of Czech parliamentary culture and assesses the extent to which their authors succeeded in balancing the often conflicting constitutional principles of majority decision-making and the protection of parliamentary opposition.

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