In the lower house of the Czech parliament, a large-scale cancellation of restrictions on retail operations is being prepared. A group of deputies from the opposition ODS party has introduced a bill to cancel the ban on trading on public holidays for stores larger than 200 square meters. The initiative has received unexpectedly broad political support.
Essence of the Proposal and Current Bans
Currently, the law requires large supermarkets to close on key public holidays (New Year's Day, Easter Monday, May 8, September 28, October 28, December 25, and 26). On Christmas Eve (December 24), trading is only allowed until 12:00 PM.
Arguments of the bill's authors:
Freedom of enterprise: the decision on opening hours should remain with the business owner, not the state.
Consumer convenience: the current system is confusing—stores are open on some holidays and closed on others, which disorients shoppers.
Eliminating relics: supporters of the cancellation call the current regulation a "socialist legacy" of left-wing parties.
The bill has a high chance of passing due to the new balance of power in the government and parliament, where the ruling party "Motoristé sobě" is actively promoting the initiative. Ministers Boris Šťastný and Petr Macek have already spoken in support of lifting the restrictions, calling the current ban "senseless and harmful" to the economy.
At the same time, the ANO movement, which dominates the cabinet, has taken a neutral position: Deputy Prime Minister Karel Havlíček emphasized that the ministry's priority remains digitalization and the development of 24/7 automated stores, but the government is open to further discussion in the Chamber of Deputies. On the opposition side, SPD leader Tomio Okamura is still expressing skepticism, explaining his caution by the lack of prior consultations with his faction.
Business Opinion
The initiative was supported by the Economic Chamber of the Czech Republic, confirming that the legal confusion surrounding holidays harms the market. Supporters of the reform emphasize that the 200 m² criterion, introduced in 2016 supposedly to support small businesses, in practice only creates inconvenience for the public.
The government will consider the proposal in the near future. If the law is passed, large retail chains will be able to decide for themselves whether to open on holidays, based on demand and staff availability. The changes will not affect the upcoming Easter holidays; large stores will still be closed.
