The prime minister of the Czech Republic (
Czech: ''Předseda vlády České republiky'') is the head of the
government of the Czech Republic
The Government of the Czech Republic () exercises executive power in the Czech Republic. The members of the government are the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic (Chairman of the Government), the deputy prime minister and other ministers. It ...
and the ''
de facto'' leader and most powerful member of the executive branch.
The
Constitution
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed.
When these pri ...
provides that certain presidential actions require the prime minister's
countersignature, including in appointing judges and ambassadors, commanding the
military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...
, ratifying treaties and issuing
amnesties.
The current prime minister,
Petr Fiala, leader of the
ODS, was sworn-in by President
Miloš Zeman on 17 December 2021, following the
2021 election and serves as
13th person in the office.
Role
The prime minister is also authorised to release a member of the government or from confidence, relating to
classified information
Classified information is confidential material that a government deems to be sensitive information which must be protected from unauthorized disclosure that requires special handling and dissemination controls. Access is restricted by law or ...
. By virtue of their position, they represent the Czech Republic in the European Council and are entitled to a diplomatic passport.
The prime minister also serves as direct superior of the
General Inspection of Security Forces, when they appoint and dismiss its director, who is responsible to them of the performance of their function.
According to Article 63 of the Constitution, the prime minister bears responsibility for signing the decisions together with the entire government of Czech Republic. They can authorise another member of the government to countersign and refuse to co-sign.
Powers
One important power of the prime minister is the possibility of replacing the entire government by their decision and declare a state of emergency. The government must approve or cancel its decision within 24 hours of its announcement. In case a decision-making crisis would pass to the government, the prime minister would decide with Ministry of Defense.
Residence
The building was built from 1911 to 1914. It was designed by the Viennese architect
Friedrich Ohmann.
List of heads of government
Notes
References
{{Prime Minister
Prime ministers of the Czech Republic
Government of the Czech Republic
1993 establishments in the Czech Republic