PM shrugs off president’s criticism of compromise on civil service bill

Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka has shrugged off criticism by President Miloš Zeman over a compromise reached with part of the opposition on a civil service bill. The president slammed the government for dropping the idea of a new bureau, including a so-called super bureaucrat to head it, to oversee the state administration, suggesting the bill would not be effective. The prime minister said that while the president had the right to his own opinion, he was not about to scupper a proposal which had backing from some 150 MPs in the Chamber of Deputies. The new civil service law, which should reduce corruption and depoliticize the state administration, is regarded as long overdue.

Author: Jan Velinger