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Summary for: Czech government could gradually cut 10 percent of staff in 2027Czech ministries and their subordinate organizations could gradually reduce staffing by 10 percent during 2027 under a cost-cutting proposal that the government is expected to revisit within weeks.
Industry and Trade Minister Karel Havlíček said the layoffs should not take effect all at once on Jan. 1. Instead, individual ministries would reduce their workforces progressively over the course of the year.
The proposal was reportedly submitted to the cabinet in September by Government Office head Tünde Bartha at the request of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. Ministers postponed a decision at the time. Details of the original proposal were first reported by Seznam Zprávy.
Government seeks lower operating costs
Havlíček said the measure was intended to reduce the operating costs of ministries and the organizations they oversee.
He said ministers would return to the proposal within several weeks but suggested that the process should protect experienced officials and employees strongly committed to public service.
Merging state organizations could provide another way to reduce staffing, Havlíček added. He cited the recent combination of the CzechInvest and CzechTrade agencies, which eliminated approximately 80 positions.
Sports Minister Boris Šťastný said ministers representing the Motorists party should be able to achieve the proposed reduction. The party also controls the foreign, culture and environment ministries.
“It’s good that the prime minister is motivating us this way,” Šťastný said during a CNN Prima News debate Sunday. “I believe everyone can manage a 10 percent reduction.”
He suggested that ministries could make greater use of part-time employees, temporary workers and women on parental leave.
Unions demand an audit before layoffs
Trade unions have strongly criticized the plan, describing a 10 percent reduction as a “decimation” of the civil service.
They want the government to conduct an audit of administrative responsibilities and complete more of the state’s digitization program before determining how many positions can be eliminated.
Havlíček said the government expected union opposition but did not anticipate a strike. He argued that the cabinet was facing pressure to reduce spending while also being criticized for measures intended to achieve savings.
Former Environment Minister Petr Hladík of the opposition Christian Democrats rejected a blanket reduction across all ministries.
He said the government should instead reduce bureaucracy and expand digitization, with staffing decisions based on a detailed plan. Poorly targeted cuts, he warned, could disrupt professional expertise within the civil service.
