Czech Republic

C

Local Government

Since Czechoslovakian administrative reform in 1990 there have been no regional governments. Seats on district bureaux are contested at local elections, which enjoy high turnouts. These raise local taxes, but often rely on central government for additional funds.

D

Political Parties

A multi-party system of government was inherited from the previous Czechoslovakian government. The Civic Democratic Party (ODS; Občanské Demokratická Strana) in coalition with the Christian Democratic Union (KDU; Krest’anská a Demokratické Unie) emerged as the leading political party of the republic after the break-up. The Civic Democrats and several other parties formed after the splintering of the Civic Forum, the party instrumental in bringing down the Communist regime. The Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSČM; Komunistická Strana Čech a Morava), a coalition of former Communist parties, is another strong Czech political party, as is the Czech Social Democratic Party (ČSSD; Česká Strana Sociálné Demokratická). A number of minor parties are also active, some of them regionally based.

E

Health and Welfare

Average life expectancy at birth in the Czech Republic was 73.3 (2008 estimate) for men and 80.1 (2008 estimate) for women. There were around 31,000 doctors (1 per 279 people) and 68,800 hospital beds (1 per 114 people) in 2003. Despite the generally high standard of health care, heavily polluted urban regions are still troubled by above-average disease and mortality levels. Infant mortality in 2008 was 4 deaths per 1,000 live births.

F

Defence

The former Czechoslovakian Armed Forces were divided into separate Czech and Slovak forces in 1993. The Czech forces, which include both 5,609 air and 16,663 ground troops and totalled 22,272 personnel in 2004, have been reduced in keeping with international treaties. Military service in the republic is compulsory and lasts 12 months; the armed forces include some 25,000 conscripts. In 2003 the Czech Republic spent US$1,871 million (2.2 per cent of its GDP) on defence.

G

International Organizations

The Czech Republic is a member of the United Nations (UN), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA), the Central European Initiative, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and the European Union (EU).