Prague Castle Will Not Withdraw President Pavel's Lawsuit Against the Government

The office of Czech President Petr Pavel has said the head of state has no intention of withdrawing his jurisdictional lawsuit against the government, despite calls for unity in Czech foreign policy. Prague Castle spokesman Daniel Drake confirmed this to the news outlet Novinky.

"The President of the Republic has explained in detail and in public the reasons that led him to file the jurisdictional lawsuit, and his position remains unchanged," Drake said.

One Team, Different Positions

Earlier on Tuesday, in remarks to ambassadors, Pavel said there is no such thing as a separate government team and a separate presidential team — there is only one Czech team. "I will try to ensure that we are able to overcome our internal disagreements on security issues and other matters. That we meet, negotiate and seek compromise — in the interest of the whole country," the president said.

Those words drew a response from Minister Macinka: "If Petr Pavel meant this seriously, I would expect him to first withdraw the constitutional lawsuit he filed against the government." According to him, Czechia cannot have two foreign policies — there is only the one set by the government.

Dispute Over the NATO Summit in Ankara

Prague Castle believes the lack of coordination between constitutional bodies is damaging the country's reputation. "Under the constitution, the president represents the state abroad, which means he is a participant in foreign policy. A failure to coordinate the actions of constitutional officials in this area does not help Czechia's image as a reliable ally, as the president stressed in his speech yesterday," Drake said on Wednesday.

The lawsuit was triggered by the government's refusal to ensure Pavel's participation in July's NATO summit in Ankara. A court issued a preliminary ruling ordering the cabinet to arrange the president's trip, but a final decision on the division of powers has not yet been made.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz