SÍMBOLOS

Bandera

According to the Constitution of the Czech Republic, Article 14, «small and large state emblem, the state colors, the state flag, the flag of the President of the Republic, the state seal, and the national anthem are the state symbols of the Czech Republic».

According to Act No. 3/1993 Coll., of 17 December 1992, on State Symbols of the Czech Republic, «the national flag consists of an upper stripe of white and a lower stripe of red, between which a pole blue wedge is inserted halfway up the length of the flag. The ratio of the width of the flag to its length is 2: 3».

Escudo

According to Act No. 3/1993 Coll., of 17 December 1992, on State Symbols of the Czech Republic, there is a small and a large Coat of Arms.

The great coat of arms consists of a squared shield, in the first and fourth red fields of which is a silver two-tailed lion leaping with a golden crown and golden armour. In the second blue field is a silver-red checkered eagle with a gold crown and gold armor. In the third gold field is a black eagle with a silver crescent surmounted by trefoils and in the center a cross, with gold crown and red armour.

The small coat of arms consists of a red shield, in which is a silver two-tailed lion leaping with a golden crown and golden armor.

Himno

According to Act No. 3/1993 Coll., of 17 December 1992, on State Symbols of the Czech Republic, the national anthem consists of the first stanza of the song by František Škroup and Josef Kajetán Tyl «Where is my home» („Kde domov můj”)

Letra y música.

Kde domov můj, kde domov můj,
Voda hučí po lučinách,
bory šumí po skalinách,
v sadě skví se jara květ,
zemský ráj to na pohled!
A to je ta krásná země,
země česká domov můj,
země česká domov můj!

Una versión instrumental del himno de la República Checa puede escucharse aquí, interpretado por la Prague National Theatre Orchestra.

PRECEDENCIAS

According to Diplomatic Protocol Handbook II, issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the order of precedence in the Czech Republic is based on the principle that elected officials take precedence over appointed ones, and officials with nationwide powers take precedence over local ones. The order of precedence reflects international customary rules as well as established practice dating back to pre-war Czechoslovakia.

The list goes as follows:

President of the Republic
President of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic
President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic
Prime Minister of the Czech Republic
President of the Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic
President of the Supreme Court, President of the Supreme Administrative Court
Vice-Presidents of the Senate
Vice-Presidents of the Chamber of Deputies
Deputy Prime Ministers
Members of the Government of the Czech Republic
Diplomatic corps (Dean, Heads of Missions)
Senators
Deputies
Members of the European Parliament elected in the Czech Republic

Order of precedence of the diplomatic and consular corps

For the precedence of the diplomatic corps, the order of precedence of Heads of Missions is set out in Article 16 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The established practice in the Czech Republic (adopted upon the foundation of independent Czechoslovakia in 1918) is to recognise the Apostolic Nuncio as the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps. This practice is consistent with Article 16 (3) of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. If necessary due to the Dean’s absence or other circumstances, the Dean may be temporarily represented by the longest-accredited resident Ambassador.

The Diplomatic Protocol of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic keeps the list of precedence of Heads of Missions in the Czech Republic, and the Diplomatic List.

The main partner for the diplomatic corps as a collective body is the Diplomatic Protocol, namely its Director.

The list goes as follows:

Dean (Apostolic Nuncio)
Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Chargés d’Affaires en pied
Chargés d’Affaires ad interim
Consuls General
Consuls
Honorary Consuls General
Honorary Consuls

The order of precedence within each group depends on the dates of presentation of
credentials, first arrival or taking up duties in the Czech Republic.

LEGISLACIÓN

Constitution of the Czech Republic. Available here.

Act No. 3/1993 Coll., on State Symbols of the Czech Republic (amended by Act No. 154/1998 Coll. of the Czech Republic). Available here and here [PDF, CZECH]

DOCUMENTOS

Para facilidad de consulta, se anexan los siguientes documentos en pdf:

Diplomatic Protocol Handbook II. Ceremonies, Rules and Procedures. Issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Available here.