The government of billionaire Prime Minister Andrej Babis, a Donald Trump fan in office since last December, has redrafted the budget it had inherited from the previous centre-right cabinet.

It has pledged to spend 155 billion koruna ($7.3 billion) on defence in 2026, which is 1.73 percent of the planned gross domestic product (GDP).

This is below the NATO defence spending requirement worth two percent of GDP. The previous government had pledged a gradual increase to three percent of GDP by 2030.

"Given the current rise in security threats, the defence budget is basically stagnant and does not correspond to our pledge to NATO allies," President Petr Pavel said in a statement.

The Trump administration has called on allies to increase spending to five percent of GDP.

Pavel, a former NATO general whose current role is largely ceremonial, said he signed the budget to prevent the Czech Republic from living on a provisional budget curbing spending.

Matthew Whitaker, the US ambassador to NATO, wagged a finger at Prague last week.

"These numbers are not arbitrary. They are about meeting the moment - and the moment requires five percent as the standard. No excuses, no opt-outs," he said on X, posting a screenshot of an article on the 2026 Czech budget.

On Wednesday, Babis stunned Pavel when he said he would replace him at the NATO summit in Ankara in July.

Pavel has so far gone to all NATO summits since taking office in 2023.

"It is logical that I and (Foreign Minister Petr) Macinka will go to the summit to explain (defence spending) to President Trump," Babis told reporters.

Pavel beat Babis in a presidential run-off vote in 2023, and their relations are sometimes strained, including a spat over the appointment of Babis's government and its ministers last year.

Some 90,000 people rallied in support of Pavel and against Babis's government in Prague in February, and another large rally is scheduled for Saturday.

frj/jza/giv

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