Meetings will not take place. The Czech Prime Minister, Babiš, accused President Pavel of conducting a campaign and playing the role of an "opposition president."

The dispute between Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and President Petr Pavel continues to escalate. The Prime Minister rejected the President's proposal to resume regular meetings of the highest constitutional officials dedicated to foreign policy. According to Babiš, coordination with the Presidential Office is pointless because the government has its own agenda, and the President is primarily pursuing his own political goals.

"Why should I coordinate anything? We have our own policies; we have a government program statement," Babiš told Czech Television. He added that he does not want to be part of Pavel's campaign and would not have time for such meetings.

The Prime Minister subsequently published a lengthy statement in which he rejected the image of Pavel as a non-conflicting head of state. According to him, Pavel has built his political career on defining himself in opposition to Babiš, the ANO movement, and the current government. The Prime Minister associates Pavel's public appearances with preparations for the next presidential election.

Babiš claims that Pavel has been "throwing obstacles" in the way of the current government from the beginning. He recalled disputes during the formation of the cabinet, the non-appointment of one of the proposed ministers, the President's stance on providing L-159 aircraft to Ukraine, the publication of private communications, and a lawsuit filed with the Constitutional Court regarding the Czech delegation at the NATO summit.

At the same time, he described the President as an "opposition president." He claims that Pavel promotes similar positions as the previous government of Petr Fiala, for example, on issues such as the adoption of the euro, European integration, funding for public service media, support for non-profit organizations, or the war in Ukraine. However, this is Babiš's political interpretation, not an impartial description of the President's positions.

The Presidential Office, on the other hand, insists that coordination of foreign and security policy is necessary. The President's spokesman, Vít Kolář, stated that Pavel will continue to strive for a certain form of cooperation. A similar statement was made by the Chairman of the Senate, Miloš Vystrčil, who said that the lack of joint consultations weakens the Czech Republic.

The tension intensified after the NATO summit in Ankara, where the government initially did not want to send Pavel. His participation was eventually made possible by a preliminary measure from the Constitutional Court. Babiš subsequently described this as a disgrace, while Pavel spoke about concerns among Western partners regarding developments in Central Europe.

Both politicians now claim that the conflict is being provoked by the other side. The only thing they can reliably agree on so far is that they disagree with each other.

gnews.cz - GH