La République tchèque: président et Premier ministre au sommet de l'OTAN

At the opening dinner of the NATO summit in Ankara on July 7, 2026, two Czech leaders stood on opposite ends of the group photo of heads of state and government. On the left was Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, and on the right was President Petr Pavel. The presence of both the head of government and the head of state at the meeting marked the climax of a month-long dispute between the Czech government and president over representation at the alliance's gathering. Babiš’s populist government has been ambivalent toward Ukraine, the NATO, and the European Union, while Pavel has consistently supported Western alignment, European integration, and Ukraine. Since Czechia joined NATO on March 12, 1999, the country had always been represented by its president, who under the constitution serves as commander-in-chief of the armed forces and plays a role in shaping foreign policy. However, the government announced that Pavel would not represent Czechia at the summit in Ankara. It also rejected a compromise proposed by the president, which would have allowed both him and the prime minister to attend the summit. The dispute escalated after failed attempts at reconciliation led Pavel to file a jurisdictional lawsuit with the Constitutional Court. “The president of the republic considers his exclusion from the delegation as an unprecedented interference in his constitutional authority to represent the country abroad,” said Pavel’s press secretary, Daniel Drake, speaking to Deutsche Welle. “With this lawsuit, he wants to clarify who is authorized to decide on the participation of the head of state at NATO summits.” On June 24, the Constitutional Court issued a preliminary ruling, taking into account that the government deliberately delayed announcing the final travel ban for Pavel until the latest possible moment, preventing the judges from reviewing the case in time. According to the court’s decision, the government, the foreign minister, and the ministry must allow the president to participate in the upcoming summit and must not continue to prevent his attendance. A final verdict is expected in several months. “I respect the unusually quick decision by the Constitutional Court,” Babiš stated on X, though he did not fully comply with the court’s ruling. According to the constitution, the president should have been the leader of the Czech delegation. Pavel had suggested that participation in high-level events could be divided in advance. However, this arrangement did not come to fruition either. Instead, the host country of the NATO summit, Turkey, had to coordinate two separate delegations. Pavel and Babiš arrived approximately one hour apart on different flights. Both attended the formal evening dinner for heads of state and government, stayed in the same hotel, and were on the same floor, though at opposite ends of the corridor. Both were visible on the shared photograph. Witnesses reported that Babiš walked through the attendees multiple times, yet avoided even shaking hands with the president of his own country. Turkey adhered to protocol and extended honors typically reserved for heads of state, according to Drake. “The president of the republic participated in both main parts of the summit program, including the informal dinner for heads of state and government as well as the session of the North Atlantic Council itself. He also used the time at the summit to hold a series of bilateral meetings with other heads of state,” Drake explained. Pavel, a retired general and former chairman of the NATO Military Committee, has long advocated for a stronger military presence within the alliance and closer ties with Western institutions. His stance contrasts sharply with Babiš’s more cautious approach to international commitments, particularly regarding support for Ukraine and NATO expansion. The situation in Ankara highlighted deep divisions within Czech politics, reflecting broader tensions in Central Europe over the country’s strategic orientation. While the Constitutional Court’s preliminary ruling aimed to resolve the immediate issue of representation, the underlying conflict between the executive and the presidency remains unresolved. The final court decision will likely determine whether Pavel can continue to play a prominent role in representing Czechia on the international stage.