Czech senators push constitutional challenge to controversial building law amendment

During the August debate, representatives of the Senate’s two main factions declared their intention to submit a constitutional complaint against the recently passed building law amendment. To lodge the challenge, at least seventeen senators must sign the petition, a threshold the Starostové club can meet with its current membership, while the ODS-TOP 09 bloc also plans to participate. The critics, led by Sobotka, claim the amendment privileges big developers, introduces unequal rules for construction firms, and expands the definition of public-interest projects to include large residential complexes, potentially conflicting with environmental protections.

They also object to a new exemption that would legalise existing illegal buildings. The law, which the governing coalition pushed through after the Senate’s earlier veto, aims to streamline approvals by creating a single, state-run permitting authority.