Government's dispute with Pavel spreads from the budget to…

Government's dispute with Pavel spreads from the budget to other laws

25.07.2026 07:02 HotInfo

The tension between Andrej Babiš's government, Finance Minister Alena Schillerová, and President Petr Pavel has been deepening further following the presidential veto of the amendment to the budgetary rules. On Wednesday, July 22, Pavel refused to sign the norm, which was meant to loosen the rules of budgetary responsibility, and returned it to the Chamber of Deputies. This is the first veto of a law passed by the Babiš government. denikn.cz ↗

The president justified his decision by citing concerns about the long-term sustainability of public finances and the weakening of parliamentary oversight. According to available information, the amendment would have, among other things, allowed the government to exceed the approved state budget expenditures by up to ten percent in the event of a worsening security situation. Economists also point out that current rules already allow the state to invest using debt, and that the disputed amendment would primarily weaken pressure to consolidate public finances. idnes.cz ↗

Babiš and Schillerová criticize the president's move. The prime minister claims that the Castle is entering into a political clash with the government, while, according to opposition criticism, the finance minister is linking the veto to threats against healthcare. The ODS announced that it has prepared a constitutional complaint against the vetoed law, and experts acknowledge that this may not be the last norm where Pavel could resort to a veto. lidovky.cz ↗

Meanwhile, the dispute has expanded to other topics as well. The government and the Castle are once again divided over the proposal to lower the voting age to 16 in municipal elections, which Pavel supports and Babiš rejects. The competence dispute before the Constitutional Court, which addresses the relationship between the government and the president, also continues. Further developments will therefore play out in the Chamber of Deputies, at the Constitutional Court, and in the debate over the limits of presidential powers. zpravy.aktualne.cz ↗