Final Word from Tuesday, February 16, 2021

During his four years in office, Donald Trump was able to make three lifetime appointments to the nine-member Supreme Court, thereby tilting the Court heavily in the favor of the Right. Trump is gone, but this achievement remains. The next Czech president will be able to nominate 11 of the 15 Constitutional Court justices in his or her first 15 months in office, assuming no one leaves the Court early. Confirmation is needed, which favors candidates of a president who is on good terms with the Senate. The Constitutional Court can tremendously influence politics and business, as demonstrated two weeks ago by its decision in the matter of the electoral law. Perhaps PM Andrej Babiš had this in mind when he accused Chief Justice Pavel Rychetský of arranging to scupper parts of the law in exchange for a nomination from STAN for president. Even if Pres. Rychetský didn't serve out his full term, his appointments would dominate the highest court in the land for a decade to come. [ Czech Republic mayors president elections 2023 ]