President Petr Pavel vetoes Czech budget law, sparking clash with Prime Minister Babiš

President Petr Pavel exercised his constitutional right to veto a newly adopted law on public‑budget responsibility, arguing that the bill would enable higher state indebtedness and bypass normal parliamentary scrutiny. The veto was immediately denounced by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, who called it a purely political move, warned that it would jeopardise funding for health care, pensions and infrastructure, and pledged to overturn the decision in the Chamber of Deputies. Leading opposition figures, including Tomáš Okamura and former finance minister Miroslav Kalousek, also criticised the president’s action, with Kalousek stressing that the veto cannot end mandatory state expenditures.

Legal scholars note that the dispute highlights a growing friction between the Czech presidency and the Babiš‑led government over control of fiscal policy. The episode marks Pavel’s first use of the veto power, contrasting with the more frequent vetoes of former President Václav Klaus. The conflict is expected to dominate domestic political debate ahead of upcoming elections and may influence future budget negotiations.