Constitutional Court orders Czech government to include President Pavel in NATO summit delegation

The ruling

The plenary session of the Constitutional Court decided on 24 June to grant President Petr Pavel’s request for a preliminary injunction. Judge rapporteur Pavel Šámal announced that the court ordered Foreign Minister Petr Macinka to immediately inform NATO that Pavel is part of the official Czech delegation and to secure accreditation for him and his entourage. The government was also ordered to refrain from any actions that would obstruct or complicate his participation. The court stressed that the president’s attendance at NATO summits is an established practice and should be maintained for now, given the urgency ahead of the accreditation cutoff. Two judges dissented from the decision. The interim measure does not prejudge the final outcome of the competency lawsuit, which will be decided later.

“Ústavní soud není s nikým ani proti nikomu a nikomu nepatří, maximálně občanům této země.”

Reactions

Political reactions were sharply divided. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) said he respects the “unusually fast decision”. Earlier he had called Pavel’s behaviour “ridiculous” and accused him of using the dispute as an election campaign. Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Tomio Okamura (SPD) questioned the judges’ impartiality and remarked on the speed of the ruling. Filip Turek (Motorists), the government envoy whose ministerial appointment triggered the conflict, launched an emotional attack, saying the court “confirmed it should not exist” and that the verdict undermines parliamentary order.

“Ústavní soud potvrdil, že by neměl existovat.”

Opposition leaders welcomed the decision. ODS chairman Martin Kupka called the swift action correct, suspecting the government had been delaying the delegation decision strategically to block Pavel. STAN leader Vít Rakušan said the ruling must be respected and that the government’s reaction would be a test of its willingness to accept an unfavourable court ruling. TOP 09 chairman Matěj Ondřej Havel posted a terse message on social media: “Pane Macinko, objednávejte letadlo.” Marian Jurečka (KDU-ČSL) attributed the crisis to the foreign minister’s ego and praised the court for acting quickly.

“Reakce vládních politiků na toto rozhodnutí bude dalším testem toho, jak jsou ochotni akceptovat rozhodnutí justice, pokud jim zrovna nevyhovuje.”

Background to the dispute

The conflict originated from the government’s decision on Monday to exclude Pavel from the delegation, which was to consist of Babiš, Defence Minister Jaromír Zůna (SPD) and Foreign Minister Macinka. Pavel filed a 27-page competency complaint with the Constitutional Court the same evening, arguing that the government had no authority to bar the directly elected head of state from representing the country abroad. The president asked the court to rule that he alone is the competent state body to decide on his attendance at NATO summits. The government’s refusal came amid a broader clash over the appointment of Turek as a government envoy, which Pavel had refused to formalise.

What happens next

The government must now notify NATO of the change in the delegation and complete accreditation by Friday 26 June. The Constitutional Court will later rule on the substance of the competency lawsuit, which will define the extent of the president’s powers in foreign representation. The interim measure does not settle that legal question but ensures Pavel’s presence at the July summit. Observers noted that the court’s intervention could set a precedent for future power struggles between the presidency and the government, as Czech presidents have seen their prerogatives expand in recent years.

“Podkopávání vlády…těžko říci, zda Ústavní soud chce podrývat vládní pravomoci, ale jak se praví v jednom vousatém vtipu, ‘zvonku to tak vyzerá’.”