President says defence spending should rise in first address to MPs in current term

Czech President Petr Pavel made his first address to the lower house in the current legislative period on Tuesday. The head of state called on government and opposition MPs not to give up on finding consensus when it comes to security issues and other matters. He said legislators should serve as an example that while agreement may not be reached on all questions, it is possible to engage in dialogue and attempt to reach understanding.

Mr. Pavel said there was no justification for a stagnation in defence spending; by contrast, there are a number of major reasons why it should be increased, he told deputies. The recently appointed coalition government aims to reduce Czechia’s investment in defence this year.

The president also said the conflict in Iran would impact Czech security and prosperity both indirectly and directly. The state should not scare the public but neither should it pretend that nothing of significance was going on, he said.