The Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic ruled that President Petr Pavel must be included in the Czech delegation at the NATO summit in Turkey on July 7-8. The decision was made following a dispute between the head of state and the government of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, reports UNN citing Reuters.
Details
The conflict arose after the government announced its intention not to include the president in the delegation to the summit, deviating from established practice. Pavel stated that this limits his constitutional powers and appealed to the Constitutional Court.
Interim court decision
The court ordered the government to immediately notify NATO of the president's participation in the summit in Ankara. At the same time, this decision is temporary and is intended to ensure Pavel's presence at the meeting, while the final decision on the division of powers between the president and the government will be made later.
Babiš stated that he would comply with the court's decision. According to him, the government was guided by "purely practical" considerations and wanted to independently present its policy to the allies.
Relations between the president and the government remain tense, particularly due to cuts in defense spending, which Pavel has previously criticized. It is expected that this issue will also be raised during the upcoming NATO summit.
President of Czechia sues Prime Minister over exclusion from NATO summit delegation23.06.26, 18:23