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The Czech Constitutional Court announced on Wednesday that, through a preliminary injunction, it has ordered the government to include President Petr Pavel in the Czech delegation to the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara.

Judge Pavel Samal said that the injunction is a provisional measure to ensure Pavel does not miss the ⁠July summit and does not prejudge a final decision in the case, expected at a later date, on the limits of presidential authority.

The court also stressed that the decision does not mean the government is subordinate to the president in the conduct of foreign policy.

President Petr Pavel welcomed the Constitutional Court's preliminary injunction, saying it reflects established practice and ensures continuity in the representation of the Czech Republic at the NATO summit.

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said on X that he respects the court's decision.

The Constitutional Court's decision marks the culmination of a long-running dispute between the president and the government over whether Mr. Pavel should attend the summit. The government argues that crucial decisions will be made in Ankara and that it is the government that determines foreign and defense policy. Pavel counters that as head of state it is his right and duty to represent the country abroad.

Police in Ostrava responded to a shooting on a housing estate on Wednesday after a man shot his wife in the back and then turned the gun on himself. The woman suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital, but her life is not currently in danger. Officers traced the incident to an apartment in the Ostrava-Zábřeh district. After the man failed to respond to negotiators, police entered the flat and found him dead from a gunshot wound to the head. Police said the suspect had previously been convicted of violent crime and did not legally possess the firearm. The investigation is continuing.

President Petr Pavel has asked the Constitutional Court for an interim injunction that would allow him to attend the NATO summit in Ankara on July 7–8 before the court reaches a final decision in an ongoing competence dispute with the government. According to the court’s published filing, Pavel wants the government and Foreign Ministry ordered to include him in the Czech delegation, secure accreditation for him and his staff, and refrain from obstructing his participation. He argues that representing the state abroad at NATO summits falls within the president’s constitutional authority and reflects long-standing practice. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) dismissed the move as “ridiculous” and said the government intends to lead foreign policy itself.

The Czech Supreme Court has ruled that relatives of people who died as a result of complications linked to Covid-19 vaccination may be entitled to compensation for emotional suffering. The decision came in the case of a Prague man whose 77-year-old father died from a pulmonary embolism shortly after receiving a third vaccine dose. The court said close family members can claim damages if a death is proven to be causally linked to vaccination. The case will now return to a lower court, which will reconsider the son’s claim for compensation. The ruling clarifies how Czech compensation laws apply to Covid vaccination cases.