FM Macinka questions president as Czech representative at NATO summit

Foreign Minister and the Motorists' Party leader, Petr Macinka, said at a press conference on Tuesday that President Petr Pavel should not lead the Czech delegation to NATO’s summer summit in Turkey, arguing that Pavel is acting outside the constitutional framework by refusing to appoint the Motorists' MP and honorary party president Filip Turek as environment minister.

Presidential spokesman Vojtěch Šeliga responded that the president’s participation in the NATO summit is a matter to be agreed between the head of state and the prime minister. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) has previously repeatedly said that Pavel would represent the Czech Republic at the summit.