Czech government to decide president's role in July NATO summit

The Czech government will decide on June 22 how to compose the country's delegation to the NATO summit scheduled for early July in Ankara. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said the delegation will likely include the prime minister, the defence minister and the foreign minister, arguing that the cabinet should defend the nation's defence‑spending record.

President Petr Pavel, who has attended every NATO summit since taking office and previously chaired the NATO Military Committee, wants to be part of the Czech team. He has prepared a competence lawsuit in case the government excludes him. Babiš and Defence Minister Jaromír Zůna reiterated that the president’s participation is not currently counted on, while Pavel maintains that both he and the prime minister could attend and handle different agenda items. The discussion comes as Czech defence spending is expected to miss the NATO 2 % of GDP target, with a longer‑term goal of reaching 3.5 % by 2035.