PRAGUE - The President has warned that by failing to meet its obligations to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and its allies, the Czech Republic is endangering its own security, which it cannot effectively ensure except by working together in collective defence. „International threats are increasing while our spending is stagnating. If the next budget does not match our commitments, we will not avoid a debate on the president's rejection of the bill,“ Castle said.

The budget with a deficit of CZK 310 billion was approved by the Chamber of Deputies last week and its final adoption requires the signature of the head of state. „The president said he would sign the budget on Friday,“ Babiš said after the meeting. The statesmen also discussed the cooperation between the Castle and the Foreign Ministry and ambassadors. In January, Andrej Babiš's cabinet blocked a large-scale replacement of some three dozen ambassadors and consuls. It wants to select them again, transparently and in line with the priorities of the new cabinet, Foreign Minister Petr Macinka (Motorists) said at the time. After Tuesday's exchange with the president, Babiš believes that an agreement will soon be found between the government and Pavel.

„There is no result yet, I have to discuss it with the Foreign Minister. The ministry does not have a favourable opinion on some of the nominations because it does not think they are professional diplomats,“ Babiš said on Tuesday. The prime minister is likely to return to the issue with Macinka on Monday during a cabinet or coalition meeting. However, the president and the prime minister agreed in a framework at today's meeting on the appointment of new heads of embassies and missions, the Castle's communications department said after 5pm.

The Prime Minister also said that President Pavel had made comments on the law on civil servants. But the main topic was the state budget for 2026. „We have made a budget that we have partially inherited and we certainly have a problem on defence. We have dozens of contracts that are being investigated by the police and the NCOZ,“ Babiš continued, adding that Defence Minister Jaromír Zůna has been tasked with bringing a concept of the army by the end of May, according to which the government will prepare the budget for 2027. The adoption of the budget will end the budget proviso, which since the beginning of the year has limited monthly state spending to one-twelfth of last year's spending.

On Monday, the head of state discussed the proposal with Finance Minister Alena Schillerová (ANO).Schillerová subsequently told journalists that Pavel does not intend to veto the proposal or delay its signing. The National Budget Council (NBC) has also expressed doubts that the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation will recognise all defence spending. The council said the Czech Republic is thus at risk of failing to meet its commitment to NATO and the national law that defence spending should amount to at least two percent of gross domestic product (GDP).

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