The Czech Republic needs to allocate slightly more than 2% of its GDP to defence next year. If not, the country will face a defence spending deficit due to commitments made in The Hague until 2035. President Petr Pavel emphasised this during a visit to companies in Nové Město na Moravě.
Defence Minister Jaromír Zůna (far-right, pro-Russian Freedom and Direct Democracy – SPD) announced that the defence budget will meet the 2% NATO requirement. Still, President Pavel argued for a slightly higher percentage to improve army readiness and modernisation efforts. He highlighted NATO’s commitment to increase defence spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2035, alongside an additional 1.5% for broader security areas such as cybersecurity.
On the draft state budget negotiations, Pavel described them as a work in progress, saying specific figures are not yet available. He plans to assess whether the government’s priorities are met once the budget is published. Pavel expressed his willingness to consult with ministers to avoid disagreements. He noted that he has not yet vetoed any budget, although a month ago he returned an amendment to budget rules due to fundamental concerns.
