The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Petr Matsina, said that he hopes that the head of state will change before the next NATO summit, Novinky reported.
According to him, the July meeting of the alliance in Ankara could be the last such event, in which Petr Pavel participated as the president of the Czech Republic.
In Novinky's interview, Matsina said that the current coalition treats the president differently, but it is the "Automobilists" party that is allegedly the closest to Pavel among the three ruling forces.
"Peter Pavel has decided to leave foreign policy coordination by running an election campaign and using that sphere for that. Foreign policy should be conducted by the government, not the president," said Petr Matsina, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.
At the same time, the minister criticized the actions of the president in the field of foreign policy, accusing him of using international events for the pre-election campaign. According to Matsina, the role of the president in the Czech Republic is primarily symbolic, and foreign policy should form the government.
"Peter Pavel has decided to leave foreign policy coordination by running an election campaign and using that sphere for that," said the Foreign Minister.
Relations between the president and the government worsened after disputes over Pavel's participation in the NATO summit in Ankara. Coalition representatives previously opposed his visit, but after the decision of the Constitutional Court, the president joined the Czech delegation.
Matsina also said that he hopes that the next NATO summit will be held in Tirana with the participation of another Czech president. According to him, Pavel's participation in such events allegedly harms the country.
Former NATO General Petr Pavel holds the position of the President of the Czech Republic from 2023. His relationship with the government of Andrej Babis remains strained due to disagreements over foreign policy, security and the role of head of state.
