Final Word from Thursday, September 20, 2012
There is nothing in the Czech Constitution to prevent the
president from bringing down his own prime minister. The
president can undermine him, plot against him, veto his laws,
block his nominations, leak his personal letters or systematically
belittle him. The Constitution merely requires that the president-
elect vow to be true to his country, to uphold its Constitution
and its laws, and to act in the interest of the people. The
Constitution doesn't require the president to keep this vow once
he is inaugurated. He is not legally responsible for his actions,
cannot be prosecuted for legal violations and is immune for life
for any criminal act committed while in office. The only
exception is high treason. The only other thing limiting the
actions of the president is his honor. A president striving to
bring down his own prime minister must therefore be acting in
the interest of the people ... or have no honor.[ Czech Republic Petr Nečas Václav Klaus vetoes ]
Glossary of difficult words
I vow on my honor - the first words of the presidential vow, which reads: I promise loyalty to the Czech Republic. I vow to uphold its Constitution and laws. I vow on my honor to carry out my mandate in the interest of all the people and according to my convictions and to the best of my ability;
to belittle - to make someone or something seem unimportant; to denigrate;
president-elect - a person who has been elected president but has not yet taken up office;
to be true - to be loyal or faithful;
high treason - the crime of betraying one's country.