Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš will not attend a Senate hearing on the security situation in Ukraine, stating he has a more important agenda, according to remarks made Monday following a cabinet meeting.
Responding to questions from Novinky, Babiš dismissed the hearing as an inappropriate use of his time. “The program of war, Ukraine, you are confusing it with the Fiala government. We do not have it in the government’s program declaration. Our program is the daily life of Czech citizens,” he said.
The hearing, scheduled for Tuesday, coincides with the fourth anniversary of the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Babiš was invited alongside several ministers, including Minister of Industry and Trade Karel Havlíček, Foreign Minister Petr Macinka, Defense Minister Jaromír Zůna, and Interior Minister Lubomír Metnar. Yet, according to published schedules, none of the ministers are expected to attend, with some sending deputies or no representative at all.
Hynek Kmoníček, an advisor for national security, will represent Babiš at the hearing. Macinka will be absent due to a planned trip to the United States, where he is scheduled to address an emergency session of the UN General Assembly in New York and participate in a meeting of the UN Security Council concerning the situation in Ukraine.
Initial reports indicated Defense Minister Zůna would attend, but his ministry later stated his participation was unlikely due to a planned Command Assembly led by the Chief of the General Staff, Karel Řehka, who is expected to attend the Senate hearing.
Senate President Miloš Vystrčil (ODS) criticized the lack of attendance from government officials, stating it “sends a signal about how important these people consider it to inform the public about the situation,” according to Novinky.
The current governing coalition holds differing views on support for Ukraine, with the SPD party particularly opposed to further assistance. The government’s commitment to meeting NATO requirements for defense spending also remains unclear, as the planned defense budget for this year was reduced compared to the previous administration’s proposal.
President Petr Pavel is also scheduled to attend the Senate hearing on Tuesday.