Petr Pavel challenges government over NATO summit exclusion

Pavel, who served as chairman of the NATO Military Committee from 2015 to 2018, slammed the exclusion as an unprecedented departure from tradition. Records show presidents have headed the Czech delegation at 19 of the last 20 alliance summits, with the sole exception occurring for medical reasons. The government maintains that as the body responsible for national defense strategy—including the country's persistent failure to meet the 2% GDP spending target—it must control the delegation's composition.

The Constitutional Court has confirmed receipt of the complaint and indicated it will prioritize the case, though a ruling before the July 7–8 summit in Ankara remains uncertain. This dispute underscores a wider rift between the president and the cabinet, recently exacerbated by friction over ministerial appointments and divergent views on military support for Ukraine. While the constitution grants the government primary control over foreign policy, Pavel asserts that his background as a career general provides him with the necessary standing to represent the state on the global stage.