Pavel sees no need to make peace with Macinka: "I don't feel any hostility toward him"

Czech President Petr Pavel has said he sees no reason to patch things up with new Foreign Minister Petr Macinka, since he doesn't harbor any hostility toward him in the first place. He made the remarks on Sunday's edition of "Partie" on CNN Prima News.

According to Pavel, the leader of the Motoristé party "just likes to provoke sometimes," but that doesn't get in the way of their working relationship. The president stressed that it's important for the foreign minister to coordinate the country's foreign policy together with him and the prime minister.

A warning about clashing with the Castle

Pavel noted that Macinka would do well to understand that picking fights with the presidential palace isn't worth it — otherwise he'll have to deal with the fallout from a "two-track" Czech foreign policy. "I consider that extremely harmful, and I believe he too would rather build successes than create problems," the president said.

Pavel also confirmed he has no intention of withdrawing the lawsuit he filed with the Constitutional Court over the division of powers in his dispute with the government. "This lawsuit is the result of our inability to reach an agreement," he said, adding that the government itself has an interest in clearly delineating the powers of the cabinet and the president.

Macinka, for his part, told Czech ambassadors this week that Pavel should withdraw the lawsuit — otherwise, he argued, the president won't be able to meet with the government to discuss foreign policy.

Babiš strikes a more conciliatory tone

Unlike his foreign minister, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has taken a softer stance toward the president since Sunday morning. In his Facebook program, he said he is no longer waging any kind of battle with Pavel. The president confirmed in the interview that he met with Babiš on Thursday following a meeting of the State Security Council.

"I've been signaling my readiness to talk for a long time and repeatedly. I'm glad the prime minister is now saying the same thing," Pavel said, calling it a good start to a change in tone. In his view, the standoff between the government and the president benefits Czechia neither at home nor abroad. "And it doesn't help the prime minister or me either," he concluded.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz