The 2021 Czech Parliamentary Electoral Reform

Abstract

Electoral systems, seen as the most specific manipulative instrument of politics, thus come to the forefront of politicians’ interests. Recently, the Parliamentary Electoral Act in Czechia was amended. The case study focuses on a brief reflection on this electoral system change enforced by Constitutional Court judgment. The shortcomings of the 2002 electoral system have been identified; discussed are changes in electoral legislation and the political consequences thereof, including by simulating electoral results since 2002 under the new electoral system and comparing them with those under the previous Parliamentary Electoral Act, e.g. by analysing the overall seats–votes proportionality, parliamentary parties’ over-/ underrepresentation or malapportionment, and confronting the political consequences of the new Parliamentary Electoral Act with the 2021 Constitutional Court judgment. Despite the many flaws in the Court’s reasoning and the inconvenient timing, there was some space for the political elites to remedy the deficiencies of the 2002 electoral system. The case study concludes that the political representation did not take advantage of but rather missed the opportunity to remedy the Czech electoral legislation.

Keywords

• politics of electoral reform
• czech republic
• constitutional court
• political consequences
• seats–votes proportionality