Czech Republic: Human Rights

Czech Republic is a multi-party parliamentary democracy. Legislative authority is vested in a bicameral parliament, consisting of a Chamber of Deputies (Poslanecka snemovna) and the Senate (Senat). The president is head of state and appoints a prime minister from the majority party or coalition. In January voters elected Milos Zeman to a five-year term in the country's first-ever direct presidential election. Previously, parliaments elected presidents every five years. In the wake of the June collapse of the previously elected government, the Chamber of Deputies dissolved itself, triggering early elections that took place on October 25-26 Observers considered the elections free and fair. The two parties gaining the most seats, the Czech Social Democratic Party and the Action of Dissatisfied Citizens, formed a coalition government with the Christian Democrats. Authorities maintained effective control over the security forces. Security forces did not commit human rights abuses. During the year societal discrimination and violence against the country's Romani population was a serious problem, and human rights observers criticized the government's efforts to address it as inadequate. Official corruption remained a problem, despite enforcement efforts. Other human rights problems included violence against women; sexual and other abuse of children; anti-Semitism; trafficking in persons, particularly labor trafficking and exploitation; and discrimination against labor unions and migrant workers.