Source: ekonom.cz
Despite Czechia making substantive progress in the transposition of the EU Directive on whistleblowing protection, the governments draft law is fading during the legislation process due to lack of official support. It remains unclear whether the draft law will be passed before the autumn elections.
A recent article in Ekonom magazine discusses the whistleblowing reporting mechanism as both an obligation and a benefit for companies. Draft laws to protect whistleblowers have been traditionally left to politicians facing the end of the parliamentary term with a bill being drafted every election period since 2009, with none yet approved.
The current draft law remains prior to first reading which means it is not certain whether it will be discussed in the Chamber of Deputies before the end of the parliamentary term. Experience shows that legislators need at least seven months to achieve this, with only seven months until elections.
Mere approval of the law will not be enough. A concerted high-level campaign should follow, to raise awareness and educate the public on the importance of reporting unethical or even illegal practices and may need reminding on the importance of whistleblowing to overcome historic cultural connotations. As MPs will be involved in the election campaign, there will be little time available.
Lukรกลก ฤernohorskรฝ, MP for the Pirate party has commented on the missed chance to discuss the protection of whistleblowers in the current election period:
โThis key anti-corruption law will once again fall under the table, although for the last 10 years, all governments have volunteered to protect brave whistleblowers. I tried to save the situation yesterday by proposing that the government and Pirate versions of the legislation be discussed as a matter of priority, but most of the MPs were against it.โ
Adding: โI am afraid that this has squandered the last chance for the Whistleblower Protection Act to go through the standard legislative process during this parliamentary term – i.e. by October this year. If this does not happen, the whole process will have to start again.โ