Czech senators to ask Constitutional Court to overrule 'absurd ' COVID shop closure

The proposal, signed by 54 senators will be submitted if the Chamber of Deputies approves the government-requested state of emergency extension.

ČTK

Written by ČTK Published on 19.11.2020 14:18:00 (updated on 19.11.2020) Reading time: 1 minute

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Closed clothing store (photo: iStock /sefa ozel)
According to government data, the majority of people get infected at work and within their family, not in shops. (photo: iStock /sefa ozel)

Prague, Nov 19 (CTK) - Czech senators have drafted a proposal to petition the Constitutional Court to overrule the closure of shops amid the coronavirus pandemic, citing the government's lack of evidence to sufficiently justify the measure, senator Lukas Wagenknecht (Pirates) said today.

The proposal, signed by 54 senators will be submitted if the Chamber of Deputies approves the government-requested state of emergency extension and if the government consequently renews the anti-coronavirus restrictions.

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"The government has failed to justify why a person would not get infected within supermarkets but could get infected in a little brick-and-mortar shoe store. Therefore, we would like the Constitutional Court to address this," Wagenknecht said.

The proposal was signed by representatives of the Civic Democrats (ODS), Mayors and Independents (STAN), Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) and Senator 21/Pirates.

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"We are not attempting to make the Constitutional Court a third house of Czech parliament, but it is the only chance to change the absurd, anti-constitutional state of things," ODS Senate group head Zdenek Nytra said, adding that the document was signed by most of the members of the group that is the strongest in the Senate, the upper house dominated by the opposition.

According to government data, the majority of people get infected at work and within their family, Wagenknecht noted.

However, the government decided to either totally close or limit shopping except for essentials, food and some other products such as flowers and gravestones. In contrast, clothing and shoes, for instance, do not enjoy the exception, he said.

"This makes people buy shoes and clothes only in supermarkets, which amounts to a huge disadvantage for smaller shops," Wagenknecht said.

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