Czech Republic Opposition Leader Martin Kupka Encourages Resumption Of Coordination Meetings On Foreign Policy.

Prague; May 2026: Yesterday, on Tuesday, May 26, the President of the Republic, Petr Pavel, have received the Chairman of the Civic Democratic Party, Martin Kupka, at Prague Castle. The meeting took place at the request of the Chairman of the ODS, who presented the President with the results of the shadow government and the positions on the current legislation of the governing coalition. The Chairman announced the willingness of the opposition party to negotiate and reach an agreement with the coalition on the country’s key priorities. He also asked the President to try to renew the meeting of the highest constitutional officials to coordinate foreign policy. The President considers the search for agreement on foreign and security issues between the Government, the Chamber of Deputies, the Senate and the President to be very important in terms of representing the country’s interests abroad. At the meeting, Martin Kupka also expressed the party’s willingness to defend democratic principles and institutions, including the independence of public service media.

After his discussions with the President, Martin Kupka has briefed the media, and has further asserted that coordination meeting involving the President, Prime Minister, and Chairman Of the Chamber Of Deputies and Senate on foreign policy will be resumed soon.

“The point is that the Czech Republic is able to protect our interests in a comprehensible way, together with other partners, and to simply make Europe safe”, said Kupka, adding that it is undoubtedly not the President who is preventing the agreement and placing obstacles. According to Kupka, the head of state is interested in actively participating in a comprehensible foreign policy, including in terms of coordinating foreign trips, including to support Czech businesses. “This is an issue where all parties should cooperate”, said Kupka, referring to the cooperation of constitutional officials.

The ODS chairman asked the President to try to resume the meeting to coordinate foreign policy, Hrad said. “The President considers the search for consensus on foreign and security issues between the government, the Chamber of Deputies, the Senate and the President to be very important from the point of view of representing the country’s interests abroad”, the statement said.

The government will decide on the composition of the delegation that will go to the July NATO summit at a meeting on June 08th. After the May summit of the B9 group, which brings together countries on NATO’s eastern flank, Pavel said that in the declaration, among other things, the states reaffirmed their will to fulfill the commitment made in The Hague, i.e., to achieve defence spending of 05% of gross domestic product (GDP).

According to Prime Minister Andrej Babis (ANO), the mandate of the delegation for the July summit should concern how the Czech Republic will fulfill this commitment, or also the combat capabilities of the army. The mandate will then be approved by the government, together with the composition of the delegation.

In the past, both Prime Ministers and Presidents have attended NATO summits on behalf of the Czech Republic. Pavel, who has attended all summits since taking office as President and was previously chairman of the NATO Military Committee, insists on his participation. The prime minister, on the other hand, has so far refused the President’s participation, arguing that the country’s defence spending should be defended by the cabinet at the summit.

The end of the format of coordination meetings of constitutional officials, as they had been taking place at Prague Castle in recent years, was announced by the Prime Minister and President in early February. Their meeting at the time was a reaction to a dispute between the head of state and the chairman of the Motorists and Minister of Foreign Affairs Petr Macinka over the appointment of the Motorists MP Filip Turk as Minister of the Environment.

Pavel met with the head of the ODS based on Kupka’s request. The opposition party leader presented him with the outputs of the shadow government and the positions on the current legislation of the governing coalition. According to Hrad, he also announced the willingness of the ODS to negotiate and reach an agreement with the coalition on the fundamental priorities of the Czech Republic. “He also expressed the party’s willingness to defend democratic principles and institutions, including the independence of public service media”, Hrad added.

Team Maverick.