The government rejected the bill that would expedite the expropriation of land

Prague - The government today rejected the parliamentary proposal for a law that would expedite the expropriation of land for road and highway construction. After the cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek (ODS) stated that it would represent a significant breach of property rights. Some ODS and ČSSD deputies suggested that a landowner's lawsuit against expropriation should not automatically have a suspensive effect on the act of property seizure itself. The proponents will now try to revise the proposal to address the raised objections.
    "In this case, it is indeed a commendable initiative, but going in the wrong direction," Topolánek said. The Prime Minister is primarily bothered by the fact that the law would have retroactive effect. "And secondly, ownership is put into question by the fact that a court's decision should not have a suspensive effect," added Topolánek. According to him, the government will present its own proposal that will eliminate delays in the courts.
    "I respect the government's position. At this moment, we must, of course, consider further steps with my colleagues," said František Dědič, ODS deputy and co-author of the proposal, to ČTK. "I personally believe that we will work with the comments that the government had available and we will try to do everything to remove these comments," he added.
    According to the proponents, it currently takes up to several years for a court to make a final decision on a landowner's complaint, which significantly delays highway construction. An application for a building permit can only be submitted once the court's decision becomes legally binding. The D11 highway is often cited as an example, as it currently ends in fields before Hradec Králové due to land disputes.
    The deputies also argue that disputes in most cases are not about the land, which owners are more or less reconciled to losing, but rather about the financial compensation awarded to them by the state.
    Four South Bohemian deputies, one Central Bohemian and one Prague deputy have signed the proposal. Some of them are members of the Association for the Construction of Highway D3 and Expressway R4, which are intended to connect Prague through České Budějovice to the Austrian border. Members of the association also include mayors of the affected municipalities in the Central Bohemian and South Bohemian regions, as well as representatives from both regions. According to Dědič, who is also a member of it, the association supports the deputies' proposal. It also asks them to back it in an amended form with the incorporated comments.