| Parliament name (generic / translated) |
Parlament / Parliament |
| Structure of parliament |
Bicameral |
| Chamber name (generic / translated) |
Senat / Senate |
| Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) |
Poslanecka Snemovna / Chamber of Deputies
|
| BACKGROUND |
| Dates of election / renewal (from/to) (from/to) | 15 October 2010
23 October 2010 |
| Purpose of elections |
Elections were held for one-third (27) of the Senate seats upon the normal expiry of the members' term of office. |
The 2010 elections to the Senate were the first to be held under Prime Minister Petr Necas of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS)
who had taken office in August 2010. At stake were a third of the 81 seats in the Senate. The Senate elections were held against the backdrop of the new government's austerity plans.
When the Senate was last renewed
in October 2008
the Czech Social Democratic Party (CSSD) won the elections for the first time
taking 23 of the 27 seats at stake and bolstering its strength in the Senate to 29 seats in all. The ODS
led by the then Prime Minister
Mr. Mirek Topolanek
recorded its worst result
taking only three seats. With 35 seats in all
the ODS lost its absolute majority in the Senate. The Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSCM) took the remaining seat in play
for a total of three.
The country subsequently experienced a series of political stalemates. In March 2009
Prime Minister Topolanek lost a vote of confidence. The CSSD leader
Mr. Jiri Paroubek
had criticized the government on several issues
including its response to the economic crisis. It was the first time in the Czech Republic's history that the opposition succeeded in passing a no-confidence motion against the government. The ODS
the CSSD and the Greens (SZ) agreed to form a non-partisan caretaker government. In May
the then Head of the Czech Statistical Office
Mr. Jan Fisher
was sworn in as Acting Prime Minister. Early elections to the Chamber of Deputies
set for October 2009
did not take place because the Chamber of Deputies failed to pass the required constitutional amendment. The mandate of the caretaker government was consequently extended until elections to the Chamber of Deputies took place in May 2010 on the normal expiry of the legislature.
Those elections resulted in yet another stalemate
with no party securing a majority in the Chamber of Deputies. The CSSD came in first
taking 56 of the 200 seats at stake; it was closely followed by the ODS
which took 53 seats. Tradition Responsibility Prosperity 09 (TOP 09
a conservative party led by a former Foreign Minister
Mr. Karel Schwarzenberg)
and the Public Affairs party (VV
led by former TV moderator Radek John) took 41 and 24 seats respectively. The remaining 26 seats went to the KSCM. The Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party (KDU-CSL) failed to win any seats in the Chamber of Deputies for the first time since the Czech Republic was founded in 1993.
After lengthy negotiations
a new coalition government comprising the ODS
TOP 09 and the VV was formed on 13 July. The new government
headed by Mr. Necas (ODS)
won a vote of confidence on 10 August.
A record 227 candidates from 36 parties
groups and coalitions contested the 2010 Senate elections
which once again saw a duel between the ODS and the CSSD.
Although a Senate veto can be overturned by the Chamber of Deputies
where the governing coalition holds 118 of the 200 seats
the 2010 Senate elections were viewed as significant. A joint session of both chambers will elect the new president in 2013 when President Vaclav Klaus' term expires.
The country's fiscal deficit reached 5.8 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2009
almost twice the 3-per-cent limit set by the European Union. On assuming office in August
Mr. Necas' government proposed a series of reforms to reduce the deficit to 5.3 per cent of GDP in 2010. They included pension reform
a 10-per-cent reduction in public sector wages
retroactive taxing of home-buyer savings accounts
the abolition of welfare benefits
a VAT increase and the introduction of tuition fees at universities. The Senate elections were held amid heated debate over those plans.
Prime Minister Necas underscored that
just like any other government in Europe
his government needed to implement unpopular reforms "simply because they are necessary". He called on voters to support the governing coalition
arguing that a Senate dominated by the opposition would complicate the reform process and might push the Czech Republic to the margins of Europe
a view echoed by Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek (TOP 09) and VV Chairman John. TOP 09
which formed an electoral coalition with Mayors and Independents (STAN)
pledged to maintain the governing coalition regardless of the outcome of the Senate elections.
Acting CSSD leader Bohuslav Sobotka urged voters to support his party so as to prevent what he termed "the government's illegal plan". He argued that the proposed retroactive taxing of home-buyer savings accounts was unconstitutional. The CSSD pledged to amend the reform plans so that the 130
000 poorest families would be able to continue to receive welfare benefits. It criticized the government for refusing dialogue on the reform plans and underscored that the reforms must be discussed first. The KSCM of Mr. Vojtech Filip echoed the CSSD
accusing the ODS-led government of trying to pass 16 of the 32 reform bills in a shortened procedure in first reading without a discussion. Prime Minister Necas rebutted that since his government was only formed in August
it did not have enough time to prepare bills and allow the requisite time for debate. The CSSD tried to convince voters that a different opinion in the Senate election would allow the CSSD to start a public debate on the government's reform plans.
A record 44.59 per cent of 2.7 million registered voters turned out at the first round
the highest in the Senate's history
up from 39.52 per cent in 2008.
No candidate secured the required majority in the first round. The CSSD fared well
with its 22 candidates advancing to the second round
three more than its main rival
the ODS. Five candidates each from the STAN-TOP 09 coalition and the KDU-CSL also made it to the second round. In addition
two candidates from the Northern Bohemians (Severocesi.cz
a regional group) and another candidate from the non-partisan Nestranici in eastern Bohemia were vying for their first representation in the Senate.
In all
24.64 per cent of 2.7 million registered voters turned out at the second round held on 22 and 23 October.
According to the final results
the CSSD came in first
taking 12 of the 27 seats at stake. This brought its total seats in the Senate to 41
allowing it to regain the majority. The ODS took eight seats
for 25 in all. The KDU-CSL and the STAN-TOP 09 coalition took two seats each
holding five seats each in all. The Northern Bohemians and Nestranici entered the Senate for the first time
winning two and one seat respectively. The KSCM-CSL failed to win any seats in 2010
and was left with two seats in all. Four women were elected in 2010
bringing the total number of women senators to 15.
On 24 November
the newly elected Senate held its first session and elected Mr. Milan Stech of the CSSD as its new President. He became the first CSSD member to head the Senate since the Senate's inception in 1996. |
| STATISTICS |
| Voter turnout |
| Round no 1 (from/to) | 15 October 2010
16 October 2010 |
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes |
2'774'178
1'237'072 (44.59%)
89'682
1'147'390 |
|
Notes
|
|
| Round no 2 (from/to) | 22 October 2010
23 October 2010 |
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes |
2'774'982
683'705 (24.64%)
3'268
680'437 |
|
Notes
|
|
| Distribution of seats |
|
Round no 2
|
| Political Group |
Total
|
Seats 2010 |
|
|
|
| Czech Social Democratic Party (CSSD) |
41
|
12 |
|
|
|
| Civic Democratic Party (ODS) |
25
|
8 |
|
|
|
| Christian Democratic Union - Czechoslovak People's Party (KDU - CSL) |
5
|
2 |
|
|
|
| Coalition of Mayors and Independents (STAN) - Tradition Responsibility Prosperity 09 (TOP 09) |
5
|
2 |
|
|
|
| Northern Bohemians (Severocesi.cz) |
2
|
2 |
|
|
|
| Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSCM) |
2
|
0 |
|
|
|
| Non-partisan (Nestranici) |
1
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to sex |
Men
Women
Percent of women |
23
4
14.81%
|
| Distribution of seats according to age |
41 to 50 years
51 to 60 years
61 to 70 years
Over 70 years
Unknown
|
13
43
22
2
1
|
| Distribution of seats according to profession |
| Civil service and local authority administration |
39 |
| Physician
dentist |
13 |
| Architect
surveyor
engineer |
6 |
| Education profession |
5 |
| Research/sciences |
5 |
| Finance
management or business |
4 |
| Others |
2 |
| Trade union official |
2 |
| Entrepreneur |
1 |
| Journalism
broadcasting
media |
1 |
| Legal profession |
1 |
| Agriculture/farming |
1 |
| Writer
literary
artist |
1 |
|
| Comments |
No candidate for the Senate was elected in the first round.
Note on the "Distribution of seats according to sex":
The "Distribution of seats according to sex" above shows the breakdown for the MPs elected in 2010: 4 women of 27 members or 14.81%.
After the 2010 elections
there were 15 women in all out of 81 members
or 18.52% (Senate 26.10.2010
25.02.2011).
Sources:
- Senate (26.10.2010)
- http://www.volby.cz/pls/senat/se?xjazyk=EN&xdatum=20101015 |
Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Last elections module
