The government wants to discuss the postponement of part of the construction law expedited, Bartoš said

Prague - The government wants to discuss the postponement of the effectiveness of part of the construction law in an expedited procedure. Ivan Bartoš (Pirates), the Minister for Regional Development, said this in the Czech Television program Questions of Václav Moravec. The new proposal, which should primarily suspend the establishment of regional building authorities, will likely be submitted through the government. On Friday, MPs interrupted the discussion of the changes proposed by the governing coalition until March 1. The proposal for interruption passed with the votes of the opposition movements ANO and SPD. For this reason, according to Bartoš, it is now premature to discuss the election of the next Deputy Speaker of the Chamber from the ANO movement.

"I need to find legitimate ways to stop this (the effectiveness of part of the law). I don't want anything being prepared somewhere that won't be created anyway. We will go the route we declared before the elections," Bartoš said. The amendment, which will postpone the effectiveness of the new construction law, will likely be discussed and submitted again by the government.

The proposal for interruption passed with the votes of 83 MPs from the opposition movements ANO and SPD, while at least 82 were needed. The coalition was short of votes to overturn the opposition proposal. 21 MPs from the government parties were excused. Representatives of the governing coalition labeled Friday's session as foul. Former Minister of Industry, Trade and Transport Karel Havlíček (ANO) rejected this today. According to him, the new law should significantly speed up the building process, and the discussion of changes will again slow down all planned changes.

After Friday's meeting, representatives of the coalition majority questioned the possibility of electing the remaining sixth Deputy Speaker of the lower house. The elimination of this position, which should go to the nominee of the opposition movement ANO, could also be in play. Bartoš said today that the coalition must clarify the further proceedings of the Chamber before the election. Havlíček labeled the doubts about the permission of the leadership of the lower chamber as trading; according to him, his movement has a rightful claim to the position. Havlíček is, in fact, the ANO candidate for the remaining deputy position.

A group of coalition MPs who criticized the new construction law in the previous electoral term proposed postponing the establishment of regional building authorities for a year, which are to fall under the Supreme Building Authority. The permitting of common constructions, family houses, garages, or apartments would be governed by the existing legal framework. As of July 1 of next year, only a Specialized and Appeals Building Authority would be established, which will permit so-called reserved constructions, such as highways or power plants.

The former opposition parties particularly disliked that the building authorities would be completely transferred to the state. They warned that this could paralyze the building process and that the process would move away from the citizens. The five parties united in the Together coalition and Pirates and STAN announced before the elections that they would change the construction law if they were in power after the October elections. The proposal to interrupt the proceedings was submitted by former Minister for Regional Development Klára Dostálová (ANO), under whose leadership the current form of the construction standard was created.