At its first meeting of the new year on Wednesday, 8 January 2025, the government of Petr Fiala dealt with, among other things, the coalition's amendment to the Energy Act, which is intended to speed up the construction of gas-fired power plants as an alternative source of electricity to the ending coal-fired power plants. It also decided to appoint Lenka Bradáčová as the new chief prosecutor from 1 April and approved a draft amendment to the law on professional soldiers aimed at intensifying the recruitment of new professional soldiers and stabilising the personnel situation in the army.
At the meeting, the government decided on filling the position of Attorney Generalwhich will become vacant after 31 March, when the current chief prosecutor, Igor Stříž, will leave the prosecutor's office by his own decision. The government, on the proposal of the justice minister, appointed the current chief prosecutor in Prague, Lenka Bradáčová, as the new chief prosecutor as of 1 April. "After the resignation of Chief Prosecutor Igor Stříž, the choice of Dr Bradáčová is completely logical. She has many years of experience in the judiciary, including as chief prosecutor in Prague, a position she has held since 2012. Her experience, her professionalism, her competence and the respect she enjoys in the legal community make her a good choice to lead the Supreme State Prosecutor's Office. We are confident that under her leadership this key institution will function effectively and independently, which is important for ensuring justice and the rule of law in our country." said the Prime Minister Petr Fiala.
The government adopted a favourable opinion on the proposal amendments to the Energy Actprepared by a group of coalition MPs led by Minister of Industry and Trade Lukáš Vlček. "The essence of the proposal is to significantly accelerate the construction of gas-fired power plants. This is very important so that we can gradually replace coal-fired power plants, but it is also important so that we can continue to expand renewable energy sources, because in this case we need a backup in the form of controllable sources, for which gas is the ideal type. And of course it is also very important so that we are not dependent on electricity imports in the future." stated Prime Minister Petr Fiala.
The proposal envisages, among other things, that in the case of the construction of new gas-fired energy sources, it will be possible to simplify and significantly shorten the permitting processes by an estimated five years. "This is a very important step from our point of view and it is another step on the road to stable and cheaper energy for citizens and companies, alongside the steps we are taking in the development of nuclear, whether it is Dukovany or small modular reactors. If we are going to be a successful, prosperous country in the future, we need to provide enough energy, and energy that is affordable," the Prime Minister noted. Further information includes press release of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
The government also discussed three other MPs' proposals for changes to legislation, including a proposal amendments to the Agriculture Act and related Amendments to the Act on the State Agricultural Intervention Fund, co-authored by Minister of Agriculture Marek Výborný. The amendment is intended to support small family farms. It intends to register family farms and allows them to be granted the status of family farms in the case of legal entities and the status of members of family farms in the case of natural persons associated in a company. The government has supported the proposal, details can be found in press release of the Ministry of Agriculture.
The Cabinet also discussed draft amendment to the Soldiers' Occupational Soldiers Actwhich aims to simplify and intensify the recruitment of new members of the army. The aim of the Army of the Czech Republic is to have 3,000 soldiers in active service by 2030 and to cover the specialisations entailed by the ongoing modernisation of the armed forces through new acquisition programmes. The amendment therefore increases the maximum amount of the recruitment allowance, reduces the requirements for criminal record for entry into service and simplifies the recruitment process administratively. Other proposed changes also aim to retain existing soldiers on active duty. Details in press release of the Ministry of Defence.
The government also approved a new the concept of preparing citizens for national defence by 2030. The concept builds on the previous material valid until the end of last year and takes into account the need for a change in the overall approach to defence, which requires the involvement of the entire state and society. Its aim is to gradually extend defence training to the whole population, to coordinate it, and thus to create a government-wide system of preparing citizens for security. More in press release of the Ministry of Defence.
The government also issued a new resolution by which clarified the conditions for the gratuitous transfer of state land to municipalities affected by floods in September last year. The government's decision will allow municipalities in the worst-affected regions to acquire land suitable for the construction of family or apartment houses free of charge and then, if necessary, to transfer it free of charge or in exchange for existing land in the flood area to private owners whose existing homes were destroyed by the flood. For more information see the press release of the Ministry of Agriculture. Details in press release of the Ministry of Agriculture.
The Cabinet also discussed other advances in the digitalisation of the state. The final third wave of recognition of electronic documents was launched on 1 January. After the central administrative offices, labour offices or the Police of the Czech Republic, which recognised them last year, it is now possible to use the electronic ID card in a mobile phone also during elections, at post offices, banks, health insurance companies or even during meetings at embassies. A number of private individuals are also now voluntarily accepting electronic documents and the number is growing. However, the existing plastic ID cards remain valid. With the introduction of eDocuments, the Czech Republic is among the pioneers of the planned European digital wallet. In its first year of operation, some 577,400 people have already downloaded the app.
"Together with other digital projects launched by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, this is a very good example of how far we have progressed with the digitisation of the state in three years and how we have actually made it more friendly and efficient in terms of the services it provides to citizens," added Prime Minister Petr Fiala.
Government of the Czech Republic/ gnews - RoZ
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