As Czechs prepare to elect a new parliament on 8 and 9 October, local issues on the rule of law come into full view. Unlike its fellow Visegrad Four members Hungary and Poland or its regional partners Bulgaria and Romania, the Czech Republic is seldom mentioned as a country with a rule of law problem. With no systematic backsliding on the rule of law and little in the way of a full-scale political takeover of the judiciary, Prague seems to be the least problematic of the V4. But the rule of law picture in the Czech Republic is far from idyllic. Questions on judicial oversight of covid-19 measures, the independence of prosecutors, high-level corruption and press freedom are just some of the issues facing the country.
