A fierce political scandal has erupted in the Czech Republic between President Petr Pavel and Foreign Minister Petr Macinka, leader of the Motoristé sobě party. The conflict reached its peak on 27 January 2026, when the head of state publicly accused the foreign minister of attempted extortion over his refusal to appoint a controversial candidate to the government.
It all began at the end of 2025, after the formation of a coalition government led by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO). The Motorists for Themselves party, the junior partner in the coalition, insisted on including its prominent representative Filip Turek (a member of parliament, former racing driver and honorary president of the party) in the cabinet.
President Petr Pavel refused to appoint Turek as Minister of the Environment (previously, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was considered). The reason was Turek’s repeated scandalous statements on social media and in public speeches: he has been accused of homophobic and racist comments, downplaying Nazi crimes, and an inadequate attitude towards hate crimes. Pavel has repeatedly emphasised that such a reputation is incompatible with public office.
After months of deadlock, Matzinka sent a series of text messages to the president’s chief adviser, Petr Kolarz. In them, according to Pavel, the foreign minister effectively linked ‘political calm’ to Turek’s appointment and threatened to ‘burn bridges’ and create an ‘extreme case of cohabitation’ (conflict between the president and the government) in case of refusal. Matzinka referred to the support of Prime Minister Babiš and Tomio Okamura’s SPD party.
On 27 January 2026, the president called an emergency press conference at Prague Castle, read out excerpts from the correspondence and stated that he considered Matzinka’s actions to be an attempt at extortion. The materials were forwarded to lawyers and the police (the organized crime center) for legal assessment to determine whether a criminal offense had been committed.
The scandal is already being called one of the most serious constitutional and political crises in modern Czech history. It has exposed deep divisions within the ruling coalition and between Prague and the government, especially against the backdrop of changes in the country’s foreign policy since Babiš came to power. Further developments could even affect the Czech Republic’s international image in NATO and the EU.