Czech President Petr Pavel cleared to attend NATO summit after court orders government to include him

The Czech Constitutional Court issued an interim measure on 24 June 2026 ordering the government to ensure President Petr Pavel can attend the NATO summit in Ankara on 7‑8 July 2026. The president filed a competence complaint on 22 June after the cabinet, led by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, announced a delegation of the prime minister, the defence minister and the foreign minister, deliberately excluding the president. The court’s rapid decision—issued just two days after the complaint—cited the urgency of the summit and long‑standing practice of presidential participation.

The ruling has triggered a sharp political clash. President Pavel argues that protocol makes him the head of the Czech delegation, while Foreign Minister Petr Macinka insists the government retains that authority. Government members have labeled the court’s action a “constitutional coup” and questioned its independence. Experts and commentators have analysed the dispute, noting its implications for the separation of powers and the Czech Republic’s image at a high‑level NATO gathering. The conflict also coincides with the government’s plan to push a defence‑spending agenda at the summit, pledging a trajectory toward a 3.5 % GDP defence budget by 2035.