Taiwan’s lawmakers have decided to invite the Speaker of the Czech Parliament’s lower house, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, to deliver a speech in the Legislature when she visits the country next month. This decision was taken in a cross-party negotiation meeting, with lawmakers from across party lines agreeing to extend the invitation to Adamová. This move follows the precedent set in 2020, when Czech Republic Senate President Miloš Vystrčil visited Taiwan and addressed the Legislature.

Adamová, who is also the president of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic, is scheduled to visit Taiwan in March as part of an Asian tour that will also include South Korea. She will arrive in Taiwan on March 25 and carry out official engagements in Taipei with business representatives from the Czech Republic from March 27 to 29.

In addition to inviting Adamová to address the Legislature, lawmakers have also decided that the new legislative session will open on February 17 with a plenary meeting. During this meeting, Premier Chen Chien-jen and his Cabinet will present their policies and answer questions from legislators.

Furthermore, the caucus whips of all parties have agreed to hold a floor vote on February 21 to decide on two bills aimed at distributing surplus tax revenues to citizens in the form of cash payments to help counter inflation. The first bill, proposed by the Democratic Progressive Party government, suggests a one-off cash handout of NT$6,000 (US$199) to Taiwanese citizens and eligible foreign nationals from the 2022 tax surplus. The second bill, proposed by the opposition Kuomintang (KMT), suggests an amount of NT$10,000, taking into account the tax surplus from not just 2022 but also previous years.

In conclusion, the invitation of Markéta Pekarová Adamová, the Speaker of the Czech Parliament’s lower house, to address the Taiwan Legislature highlights the positive relationship between the two countries. The decision to invite her, following the precedent set in 2020 with the visit of Czech Republic Senate President Miloš Vystrčil, is a testament to the strong diplomatic ties between Taiwan and the Czech Republic.

Article by Prague Forum