Czech Parliament Rejects Automatic Increase of Parental Benefit

The Czech Chamber of Deputies voted against proposals to automatically raise the parental allowance in line with inflation. Several parties, including the governing coalition and the opposition ODS, opposed the measure, arguing it would cost the state up to 7.3 billion Kč in the next year if applied universally. The proposal to tie the benefit to the minimum wage was also rejected. The legislation retains the current eligibility condition limiting preschool attendance to a maximum of 120 hours per month for children under two years.