Holding presidents to account through public communication: answerability in the Czech Republic

This article examines presidential accountability in Czechia, focusing on the substantive areas in which presidents are held to account, how they respond, and how they enact accountability through public communication. Drawing on Mark Bovens' relational concept of accountability, it analyses 552 presidential texts and 1,436 accountability episodes involving four presidents between 1993 and 2025. Focusing on answerability, the article develops two classifications capturing variation across episodes: six substantive areas of accountability and seven account-giving strategies. The findings show that accountability is frequent, routine, and predominantly informal, unfolding through reactive media exchanges and proactive statements. The article contributes to broader debates on executive accountability.