President to discuss state budget with finance minister

President Petr Pavel will meet with Finance Minister Alena Schillerová at Prague Castle on Monday to discuss the state budget for 2026. The budget, with a deficit of 310 billion crowns, was approved by the Chamber of Deputies last week and now awaits the president’s signature to become law. Its adoption would end the provisional budget regime that has limited monthly state spending since the start of the year to one twelfth of last year’s expenditures.

Mr. Pavel said previously that he would not veto the budget, despite his reservations to it. However he wants to discuss with Schillerová whether the proposed deficit complies with the law on budgetary responsibility.

The National Budget Council has repeatedly said the deficit violates the law. Schillerová rejects the claim, arguing that the rules do not apply when the Chamber of Deputies returns the draft budget to the government for revision.