President says government denied him NATO summit mandate and cut delegation

Czech President Petr Pavel says the government has refused to grant him an official mandate for next week’s NATO summit in Ankara and has sharply reduced his delegation. Speaking to Deník.cz, Pavel described the move as unprecedented and said the cabinet had even specified by name who could accompany him. Although the Constitutional Court ordered the government to ensure his participation after an earlier dispute, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO Party) will lead the Czech delegation. Pavel said he had repeatedly sought a compromise but received no response, adding that he expects to attend the main NATO meeting but not the leaders’ informal dinner.