Czech President Petr Pavel stated on Thursday that he will lead the country's delegation to next week's NATO summit in Ankara, despite an ongoing dispute with the government over his role at the alliance's gathering.
Speaking to reporters, Pavel said that, as head of state, he will lead the Czech delegation rather than merely participate as one of its members, adding that he will decide himself which events to attend during the summit, Radio Prague International reported.
The remarks came a day after the Constitutional Court issued an interim ruling ordering the government to ensure Pavel's participation in the summit while it considers a constitutional lawsuit filed by the president.
The dispute began after the Czech government approved the composition of the delegation without including Pavel, arguing that the president holds different views from the cabinet on the country's defense policy and that executive authority rests with the government.
Pavel challenged the decision before the Constitutional Court, which ordered the government to accredit him pending a final ruling.
Foreign Minister Petr Macinka criticized the court's intervention, describing it as an "attempted constitutional coup." While saying the government would comply with the interim ruling and accredit the president, Macinka maintained that Prime Minister Andrej Babis will lead the Czech delegation.
He added that the government will decide next week what role Pavel will play during the summit.
Macinka also questioned the speed of the court's decision, while Filip Turek, a politician from the Motorists party, accused the court of lacking impartiality and called for its abolition.
In a separate interview with Seznam Zpravy published on Thursday, Pavel said the dispute has strengthened rather than weakened his determination to seek a second presidential term when his mandate expires in 2028.
The president claimed the row over the NATO summit stemmed from Macinka's retaliation after Pavel refused to appoint Motorists politician Filip Turek as a minister. He also accused Babis of choosing confrontation with the presidency to preserve unity within the governing coalition.
Pavel said he would seriously consider running for re-election if he continued to enjoy strong public support and remained in good health.
