Czech President Petr Pavel has filed a lawsuit with the Constitutional Court against the government after it refused to include him in the country’s delegation to the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara.
In a video statement posted on X, Pavel described the decision as “unprecedented and extremely unfortunate.
” He said he is seeking a ruling on competences to clarify the respective powers of the president and the government in representing the country abroad.According to Pavel, Czech presidents have led the national delegation at 19 out of the last 20 NATO summits under various presidents and governments.
The only exception was when a president was unable to attend for health reasons.The government, led by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, confirmed it would not include the president in its delegation to the summit.
Officials argued that the government must be able to defend its own positions, particularly on defence spending.
The dispute marks a significant institutional clash between the presidential office and the executive branch ahead of the key NATO meeting.