Czech President Petr Pavel to attend NATO summit in Ankara after court order, government says premier will lead

The Czech Constitutional Court ordered the government to add President Petr Pavel to the Czech delegation for the NATO summit in Ankara on 7‑8 July. The government complied, accrediting Pavel and approving a dedicated aircraft for his travel, but it maintained that Prime Minister Andrej Babiš will head the delegation and attend the summit’s main meetings. Pavel insists he should lead the delegation, attend the leaders’ dinner and the plenary session, and argues that the president, as head of state, has the right to represent the country. Babiš suggested the president could demonstrate “generosity” by skipping the summit this year and attending the next one in 2025. The clash reflects a broader dispute over defence‑spending policy and protocol, with Pavel accusing the government of breaching constitutional and diplomatic norms, while Babiš accused Pavel of politicising the summit. Both sides have offered compromises, but no agreement has been reached. The court’s preliminary ruling stands, though a final decision on the matter is still pending.