Social Democrats put forward complaint on finance reforms

The head of the Social Democratic Party's deputies' club Michal Hasek has put forward a complaint to the Constitutional Court regarding the government's public finance reforms. The reforms, passed in parliament and signed by the president, are to take effect on January 1st, 2008. The opposition Social Democrats have been critical of the government's reform package for months, not least of changes in the health care and social sectors; the party is of the view that the manner in which the proposal was debated in the lower house, including an amendment motion put forward by the prime minister, was itself "unconstitutional". The fifteen-member court has the authority to strike down legislation passed in contradiction to the constitution.

Author: Jan Velinger