Czech President Threatens to Sue Prime Minister Who Refuses to Let Him Attend NATO Summit — České Noviny
Czech President Petr Pavel has stated that he will appeal to the Constitutional Court if Prime Minister Andrej Babiš blocks his participation in the July NATO leaders’ summit in Ankara.
The head of state made this announcement during a speech at the GLOBSEC international security forum in Prague, according to České Noviny.
The public conflict over the composition of the Czech government delegation to this crucial international meeting has been ongoing for several months.
The public standoff between the Czech government and the president over the composition of the delegation to the NATO summit flared up in early April.
Prime Minister Andrej Babiš is attempting to single-handedly lead the country’s diplomatic mission. His position is based on the fact that the head of government has direct influence over the state’s financial system.
For his part, the president appeals to the country’s current legislation and the separation of powers.
“Babiš argues that he should be the one to represent the Czech Republic at the summit, since the prime minister is responsible for the state budget and defense spending. Pavel, however, asserts that representing the country abroad is his constitutional prerogative,” journalists note.
Czech political leaders have attempted to resolve the crisis through direct negotiations. The president and prime minister tried to settle the dispute during a bilateral meeting in early May but were unable to reach an agreement.
The head of state proposed a clear plan for the division of responsibilities at the summit.
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