President Miloš Zeman on Monday signed an amendment that will freeze the salaries of all constitutional officials at last year’s level for this year. He also signed an amendment on state social support to increase housing allowances due to the sharp rise in energy prices.
The amendment freezing the salaries of constitutional officials was approved by the Chamber of Deputies and passed by the Senate.
The salaries of politicians, judges, and prosecutors are set on a salary basis based on the previous year’s average wage. Since January, the salaries of politicians, judges, and prosecutors have increased by six percent. The amendment lowers them again. In the case of politicians, it will go from CZK 89 155 to CZK 84 060. In the case of judges, it is to fall from CZK 106 986 to CZK 100 872, and in the case of prosecutors, from CZK 96 287 to CZK 90 749.
The Judges’ Union considers the norm unconstitutional. Prosecutors are also talking about possible lawsuits.
Zeman announced that he would not veto the norm and told judges not to be “greedy.” The president also signed an amendment to the law on state social support that will allow more people to receive housing allowances in connection with the increase in energy prices.
The amendment increases the so-called normative costs on which the allowance is based. Tenants or owners of flats for whom 30 percent of their income is insufficient to pay for adequate housing will be entitled to housing benefits. It will be 35% of the income in Prague.
The signing of both amendments was announced by the spokesman of the Castle, Jiří Ovčáček.