The Czech Parliament convened on Thursday morning in response to concerns over escalating energy costs. The ANO opposition movement spurred the extraordinary meeting and marked the second time the parliament has gathered to address the issue. This time, the coalition approved a program to stimulate discussion.
The session was initiated by the First Deputy Chairman of the ANO movement and Shadow Prime Minister Karel Havlíček. He urged the government to stop arguing and have a thorough conversation about the energy costs that citizens and companies will face in the coming year. Havlíček stated, “We know that in the Czech Republic, we have some of the highest prices in Europe.”
Havlíček also called on Prime Minister Petra Fiala to focus on finding solutions rather than dwelling on the past. He urged to avoid personal attacks and excuses, stating, “People and companies are fed up and are no longer interested in what was, but what will be. Let’s try to find a common solution today; the situation is serious, but something can still be done. People expect solutions.”
According to Havlíček, Czech politicians should not allow prices to fall in other countries but rise in the Czech Republic. Based on his repeated analysis, about 40% of customers should see a rise in electricity prices by a few percentage points next year. In comparison, approximately 15% of consumers could face tens of percent price increases.
In the afternoon, the parliament is expected to convene again for an extraordinary session to discuss the overtime hours of medical professionals. This initiative, led by the government coalition, aims to address the issue of excessive working hours in the healthcare sector and is scheduled to begin no later than 4 p.m.