Czechia

After more than a decade of discussion, a law protecting whistleblowers from retaliation, such as dismissal or demotion, came into force on 1 August. It requires companies with 250 employees or more to establish a transparent internal system for reporting illegal practices at work. Later this year it will also apply to companies with 50 employees and above. Protection is only awarded to whistleblowers when it comes to certain crimes, for instance those with a fine of over CZK 100,000 or violations of selected areas of European law such as financial services and public procurement. Additionally, the whistleblower cannot be anonymous and must have worked for the organization, even if in a volunteer or self-employed capacity. The law answers a directive published by the EU in 2019, requesting that all member states ensure adequate whistleblower protection by December 2021. The Czech Republic will have to pay a late fine of CZK 64 million to the European Commission. Civil society groups have raised concerns about weaknesses of the bill, such as the handling of whistleblower reports by the Ministry of Justice instead of an independent agency. 

EU Accountability

Petr Pavel, a retired army general and former NATO military committee chief has won the Czech presidential election, garnering 58.3 per cent of the vote. His opponent, Andrej Babiš, a billionaire former prime minister, won 41.6 per cent. Outgoing president Miloš Zeman supported Babiš, with who he shares Eurosceptic and anti-migrant views. Pavel, who promotes stronger EU and NATO relations as well as support for Ukraine, and supports adopting the euro and progressive policies such as same-sex marriage, has conveyed a message of unity following the results. Despite having a largely ceremonial role, the president in Czechia appoints the prime minister as well as central bank heads, is a powerful voice in foreign policy and in pushing government policies. Voter turnout was 68.2 per cent, a substantial increase from 2018’s 61.8 per cent.

Elections Petr Pavel Miloš Zeman Andrej Babiš