Czech President Petr Pavel criticized over NATO summit participation

ODS MP Martin Kupka warned that a dispute between the government and President Petr Pavel over who will represent the Czech Republic at the NATO summit in Ankara on 7‑8 July could lead to a constitutional complaint. He said the president, as commander‑in‑chief, "belongs" at the summit and blamed the “Motoristé” faction in the government for obstructing the president’s attendance.

Art historian Milan Knížák called President Pavel "the biggest enemy of the Czech state since the Second World War," accusing him of treason for allegedly seeking to surrender Czech sovereignty, pushing for the euro, deeper EU integration and supporting the Sudeten‑German congress in Brno. Knížák argued that Pavel’s rhetoric undermines the Czech Republic’s independence.