Czech Constitutional Court orders President Pavel to join NATO summit delegation

The Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic issued a provisional measure requiring the government to include President Petr Pavel in the official Czech delegation to the NATO summit in Ankara on 7‑8 July 2026. The court’s order, which does not anticipate the final outcome of President Pavel’s competence lawsuit against the government, obliges the foreign ministry to notify NATO and secure accreditation for the president and his entourage.

The dispute began when Prime Minister Andrej Babiš’s cabinet announced a delegation consisting only of the prime minister and two ministers, excluding the president. President Pavel filed a competence complaint, arguing that the presidency traditionally participates in NATO summits. Government ministers, notably Foreign Minister Petr Macinka, denounced the court’s decision as a “constitutional coup,” while opposition figures and some legal commentators defended the ruling as upholding established practice. The government has said it will comply with the court’s temporary order but maintains that the final decision on the president’s constitutional role will be made in the months ahead.

Political leaders have reacted sharply: Babiš warned the ruling could damage the Czech Republic’s reputation abroad, Macinka called the move an attempt to undermine the government, and members of the opposition welcomed the court’s intervention. Two judges dissented, questioning whether the extraordinary measure was justified given the short‑term nature of the dispute.