Babiš's dispute with Pavel shifts to the budget and the…

Babiš's dispute with Pavel shifts to the budget and the election of the head of state

04.08.2026 09:02 HotInfo

The dispute between the government of Andrej Babiš, Finance Minister Alena Schillerová, and President Petr Pavel continues after the president's veto of the budget amendment. In July, Pavel returned to the Chamber of Deputies a law that was meant to loosen the rules of budgetary responsibility, because in his view it threatened the long-term sustainability of public finances and weakened parliamentary oversight.

Babiš claims that the government must override the veto, otherwise, according to him, there will be no money for the army or highways. At the same time, he called the reduction of the deficit from 310 to 150 billion crowns within a single year unrealistic and stated that next year's budget deficit will be significantly below 400 billion crowns. After the government's summer break, the cabinet is set to address the budget, the president's veto, and the search for a majority of 101 votes. ekonomickydenik.cz ↗

Regarding the January indexation, Schillerová refuses to state a specific amount and said it would not be honest to create expectations among seniors. At the same time, the government is proposing to add 500 crowns to the pensions of people over eighty, with the same increase to be repeated every five years. novinky.cz ↗

The tension is also shifting toward the next presidential election. Analyses point out that both Babiš and Petr Macinka are so far publicly denying that they are seeking a joint candidate against Pavel, but this position could change. Among the possible names, Karel Havlíček and Alena Schillerová were previously mentioned, but it is now described as difficult to find a candidate with a profile comparable to Pavel's. forum24.cz ↗

Criticism of the political style of Babiš's government is also entering the debate. Petros Michopulos claims that the cabinet is incapable of consensual politics, and part of the Senate criticizes the prime minister for ignoring the upper chamber. Further developments will be determined by the vote on the veto, the budget negotiations, and whether the government's dispute with the Castle becomes part of the presidential campaign. irozhlas.cz ↗