The Czech government intends to increase the defence budget by CZK 36 billion in 2027, and therefore fulfil the NATO commitment to spend 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence for the first time, Prime Minister Andrej Babis (ANO) said this morning before leaving for the NATO summit in Ankara.
The Czech military has been allocated CZK 154.79 billion, which corresponds to roughly 1.8% of GDP. An additional CZK 30 billion will be allocated to defence from the budgets of other ministries.
Babis previously stated that the country would probably not meet its defence spending commitments this year, according to NATO’s assessment. Defence Minister Jaromir Zuna (SPD) said in April that the Czech Republic’s defence spending this year would amount to 1.78% of GDP. For next year, he planned to request an increase to CZK 190 billion, equivalent to 2% of GDP.
Babis said today that the summit in Ankara would be one of the most important for NATO. He noted that the meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump would be a major event, though he added that he didn’t know whether he would meet the president directly.
“It’s important for us that we’ll be appearing there for the first time as our coalition government, which is responsible for defence spending and for fulfilling those commitments,” said Babis. “Next year, we’ll increase the defence budget by CZK 36 billion, and we should therefore reach 2% for the first time.”
According to Babis, the most important thing for the current cabinet is improving military recruitment. “And of course, we want to implement the new concept for our military, which includes air defence, anti-drone defence, and also the commitments regarding brigades that we’ve had for quite some time toward NATO,” he said.
Before his departure to the summit, on a different plane than the government, Czech President Petr Pavel said he was pleased that the government had committed to the 2% target. He said he would support any efforts to meet that target.
“I consider it realistic to reach at least 2%. After all, it was already realistic this year,” he said. According to the president, the discussion must be conducted objectively and without emotion. “We’re talking about something that shouldn’t have a political slant. We’re talking about the safety of our citizens,” he said. Pavel added that the Czech Army currently has gaps in its combat readiness and would have trouble fulfilling its share of responsibility within the framework of collective defence.
Babis said he hoped that, in addition to budgetary commitments, the summit would also talk about peace in Ukraine. A proposal to provide 70 billion euros to Ukraine this year and at least the same amount next year is expected to be discussed in Ankara. Babis stated that the Czech Republic would not block the proposal but would not contribute to the aid.
“Of course, we won’t be paying money to Ukraine from the Czech budget, because we mainly need that money to meet the 2% defence spending target, so logically, as in the past, the large countries will pay for it,” he said.
After a fractious run-up to the summit, which saw Pavel file a competence lawsuit against the government, asserting his right to represent the Czech Republic in Ankara, Babis told reporters this morning he was “not aware” of any coordination with Pavel, and that the two were not in contact.
The government included the president in the delegation following a ruling by the Constitutional Court. Pavel is flying to Ankara this morning on a different plane than the government delegation.
Babis had tried to convince Pavel not to go to Ankara, arguing that it would damage the Czech Republic’s reputation abroad. Pavel, however, views his participation as his constitutional and professional duty. He previously stated that he had offered Babis a compromise under which the premier would choose one of the two high-level meetings at the summit and the president would attend the other. The government has decided that Babis will attend both.
Despite a joint working group between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Presidential Office, Macinka said he has no idea what the president’s itinerary in Ankara will be. Pavel previously stated that he was convinced the dispute over his participation in the summit was Macinka’s revenge for the fact that he had refused to appoint controversial Filip Turek, chair of the Motorists party, as a minister.
Macinka said the agenda for the summit is clear. The Czech delegation is led by Babis, who will also deliver the national address on behalf of the Czech Republic. “We’re rooting for the president – we hope he enjoys himself, meets up with his friends there, and brings home lots of photos,” Macinka said with irony.
Czech opposition parties consider the government’s stance ahead of the NATO summit to be shameful and undignified. They say it weakens the country’s position in the eyes of its allies.
Speaking to reporters at the airport before he left, Pavel said he would attend the informal dinner of the heads of state and government tonight, at the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Babis and his wife Monika will also attend.
Pavel plans to hold at least four bilateral meetings in Ankara, but has so far declined to reveal which ones. “I wouldn’t want to raise expectations that might not be met,” he said.
The president will also attend an economic forum on the defence industry organised by the alliance today. “Above all, I want to emphasise that the Czech Republic has a long tradition in the defence industry,” he said. His schedule for today also includes a meeting organised by the Munich Security Conference, and on Wednesday he will attend a working breakfast organised by the Globsec security conference.
The president said he would not fight with Babis over the seat at the head table during Wednesday’s NATO meeting, since the government has approved the prime minister as the delegation’s leader.
“I will attend that meeting without any sense of humiliation or frustration, because it is important for me to hear what will be discussed,” said Pavel, who had been chief of staff of the Czech army and then NATO Military Committee earlier in his career.
Pavel said he wanted to hear the arguments because he was concerned that otherwise, the information would not reach him. He described the lack of coordination meetings among the highest Czech constitutional officials on foreign policy as a major mistake in this context.
After Pavel refused to appoint Motorists party honorary chair Filip Turek to the government, Motorists leader and Foreign Minister Petr Macinka said the president would find out what “extreme cohabitation” looks like.
Pavel will attend dinner tonight at Erdogan’s invitation. He said he would find out which table he’ll be seated at only when he gets there. He considers the event to be extremely important, which is why he wanted to attend. “Informal meetings are valuable primarily because they aren’t recorded, which allows for a very open discussion. And we not only need such an open discussion, but we haven’t had much of it at NATO summits in recent years,” he explained.
