Political Science and International Relations Political system of the Czech Republic

1. Political Science and International Relations Political system of the Czech Republic

2. Aimoflecture • To introduce to main characteristics of the Czech political system • To explain process of transformation to democracy in Czechoslovakia and the role of the military in it

3. Agenda • Institution of Political systém oftheCzechrepublic • Civil and military relations in democracy • Democracy and Armed forces

4. Political system of the CR • Chamber of deputies elected by proportional electoral system gives confidence in the government • Senate Elected by majority electoral system has the function of stabilizer and fuses • President elected directly by people – since 2013 • The government appointed by the president on the basis of voting in Parliament has executive power • Constitutional Court - judges appointed by the president, the guarantor of the Constitution of the Czech Republic • The Constitution defines the functioning of the political system can be changed by vote of a constitutional majority (both Houses of Parliament)

5. The Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic • Chamber of deputies is the lower house of the bicameral ParliamentoftheCzechRepublic • The members of the 200-seat house serve for four-year terms and are elected using the party list proportionalrepresentation system • EverycitizenoftheCzechRepublic aged at least 21 who has the right to vote is eligible to be elected. • The Deputy may not hold the office of the Senator, the President ofthe CR or judge, which also applies to certain positions specified by law.

6. Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic • The Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republicis the upper chamber of theParliamentoftheCzechRepublic • The Senate has 81 members, elected for six years, every two years one third of them, in one-seat constituencies through two rounds majority system (the second round is between two candidates with highest number of votes from the first round, if no candidate obtains 50+% majority in the first round) • The Senate can delay a proposed law which was approved by theChamberofDeputiesbut this veto can be overridden by an absolute majority (i.e. at least 101 of all 200 members) of the Chamber of Deputies in a repeated vote • Senators have, together with MP's, the right to take part in election of judges of theConstitutionalCourt and may propose new laws.

7. Civil control of AF Models of civilian control and democratic control of the armed forces applied in democratic states often show relatively large differences. Still, however, there are some general features that are common to all models applicable. These include: • A clear definition of the relationship between the armed forces, the society and its top-level authorities in the legal system of the country • Subordination of the armed forces to the rule of law • Right of society in formulating decisions regarding the armed forces through parliament and president elected by citizens • The primacy of civilian persons in enforcing policy decisions expressed mostly civilian defense minister • Control of the armed forces through the free action of the mass media

8. Czechoslovakia(1918-1938) • The problem of building the armed forces on the different basis • Necessity of defining the military's role in the newly created state • Challenges to militarism, respectively problematic relationship of the political elite towards the armed forces • Active involvement of the armed forces against internal threats • De-politicization of the army (the absence of voting rights for soldiers) • The army is perceived as a potentially significant threat to the democratic character of the state • Despite the de-politicization is a fairly strong political influence on the armed forces and their character (and the political situation in Czechoslovakia)

9. Czechoslovakia(1938-1939) • Specific position of the armed forces in the post-Munich period • The need to fundamentally redefine their role and abilities • Sporadic participation in political power: military officials in ministerial positions of the government • Unique attempt to use the armed forces as a tool of power in a political struggle (intervention against Slovak autonomist)

10. Czechoslovakia(1948-1989) • Until 1989, the structure of relations policy - an Armed Forces based on the dominance of the Communist Party • Minister of National Defense is general in active service • The Minister of Defense is involved in political decision-making mainly by his position in the Communist Party • Chief of Army Staff is also the first deputy of Defense minister • Civilian political leadership intervenes in the management of the army only in a limited extent. Wide management autonomy of Armed Forces. The Armed Forces have their own structure of military prosecutors and courts • Priorities of the military policy are determined from the outside (the Political Consultative Committee of the Warsaw Treaty) • Military policy measures discussed by the Council of national defense

11. Time of communist regime (1948-1989) • The situation culminated in February 1948 when the communists took over the government • After the communist takeover the resignation on independent security and foreign policy followed and the era of total orientation on the U.S.S.R. began • Cleaning of the officer corps started: almost 80% of officers were released, a lot of them were imprisoned or sent to uranium mines, some were executed. Particularly members of “western“ units were prosecuted • Czechoslovakia began to build a massive, heavy and offensive armed forces under Soviet control

12. Timeof communist regime(1948-1989) • 1953: first open demonstrationsagainstcommunistregime (harshly suppressed) • 1955: Czechoslovakia signed the Warsaw Pact • Stalin´s death and followed partial release of international tension in 60´s allowed the limited democratisation in Czechoslovakia • January 1968: Czechoslovak public and political representation claimed neutrality and "socialism with a human face„ (not Soviet political course) and Czechoslovakia started spiraling out of Soviet control • 21st August 1968: invasion of the Warsaw Pact („fraternal assistance“)

13. Timeof communist regime(1948-1989) • Despite the fact that 99% of soldiers refused invasion, president and government ordered troops to stay in garrisons and to beneutral • The government has been hijacked to Moscow and forced to sign the so-called Moscow Protocols, which cancelled democratic reforms a returned situation to the state before 1968 • April and August 1969: massive demonstrations suppressed by police, People's Militias and army

14. Party controloftheArmedForces • Strong political (ideological) control of the Armed Forces • The condition for military career is membership in a political party • The command structure of the army follows the structure of the political workers, whose task was not only the political supervision of the preparation of the soldiers, as well as the organization of cultural and sports events • Political control of the army is realized through military counterintelligence, which is not subject to military leadership. Counterintelligence is a part of an organization „Main Military Counterintelligence“ and is thus subordinated to civilian control of the Minister of the Interior • Military counterintelligence perform also common tasks of military police

15. ArmedForces as represivepowerofstate • Active deployment of ArmedForces against civil unrest in August 1969 • Role in suppressing of internal unrest – Order of Ministry of Defense for deployment of forces and means of AF to ensure peace and order in the territory of Czechoslovakia (1974) • In November 1989 (Velvet Revolution), the military was preparing to implement "extraordinary security measures" and designated units were put on alert

16. Time of changes (1989-1993) • 17th November 1989regimechangestarted • Despite ideological indoctrination (82% officers were members of the Communist Party) the army remained neutral and allowed the change of regime • In December 1989 became Defense Minister the current Chief of General Staff Gen. Vacek, who is actively working with the new government and the president, he launched reforms in the Czech Armed Forces • In 1990 Abolition of political structures within the Armed Forces • During 1990, around 10,000 soldiers left AF voluntarily (AF had totally 210,000 people, which 61,000 soldiers), using the possibility of retirement orto change jobs • 1991Abolition of the Warsaw Pact

17. CzechForeign and SecurityPolicy The contemporary foreign and security policy of the Czech Republic is based on preferring and strengtheningof: Security (national) interests of the country Collective defence (NATO) and cooperative security (OSCE, EU) structures and projects Trans-Atlantic relations with the U.S. The active role in prevention of crises and armed conflicts and active engagement in their solution under the strict UNSC mandate Historically the best relations with neighbours (especially Germany and Poland) Prevention or deterrence of armed attack against the CR

18. Legislative Framework Political Setting: White Paper on Defence (5/2011) Security Strategy of the Czech Republic (9/2011) Defence Strategy of the Czech Republic (9/2012)