Final Word from Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Pres. Petr Pavel will meet this morning with Karel Havlíček and Alena Schillerová of ANO to hear their views on the ruling coalition's efforts to reduce the June indexation for pensions. ANO argues that the methods used to pass it are unconstitutional. Pavel swore an oath on Thur. to uphold the Constitution and the laws of the Czech Republic. A few hours later he told Czech TV that not even the president is the arbiter of constitutionality. "He should stand guard over it and protect it, but not decide what is or is not constitutional. That is what the Constitutional Court is for. So these constitutional doubts should really be clarified by the Constitutional Court." Some political commentators understood this to mean that Pavel might sign the bill but ask the Constitutional Court to rule on it. But what if the Court itself is part of the "new totalitarianism," as claimed in Parliament by Andrej Babiš? It would then be Pavel's sworn duty to defend the Constitution against the Constitutional Court. [ Czech Republic inflation adjustment president Television promise ]