Czech government approves president’s participation in NATO summit in Ankara after court ruling

The Czech government on Monday approved President Petr Pavel‘s participation in next week’s NATO summit in Ankara, resolving a dispute over the country’s delegation following a Constitutional Court ruling in his favor.

Prime Minister Andrej Babis told reporters that following a Cabinet meeting, Foreign Minister Petr Macinka had added Pavel and his entourage to the official Czech delegation, Radio Prague International reported.

Babis will lead the Czech delegation at the summit, while the president will travel separately after the government also approved the use of an aircraft for Pavel’s trip.

Despite the court’s decision, Babis said Pavel could demonstrate goodwill by voluntarily skipping this year’s summit and attending next year’s gathering instead.

The president has argued that the government’s previous refusal to include him in the delegation was contrary to the Constitutional Court’s ruling, which affirmed his right to participate.

The dispute began after the Czech government approved the composition of the delegation without including Pavel, arguing that the president holds different views from the Cabinet on the country’s defense policy and that executive authority rests with the government.

Pavel challenged the decision before the Constitutional Court, which ordered the government to accredit him pending a final ruling.

The president claimed that the row over the NATO summit stemmed from Macinka’s retaliation after Pavel refused to appoint Motorists politician Filip Turek as a minister. He also accused Babis of choosing confrontation with the presidency to preserve unity within the governing coalition.

Pavel said he would seriously consider running for re-election if he continued to enjoy strong public support and remained in good health.