President Petr Pavel has confirmed he will meet with Igor Červený, a candidate for Minister of the Environment, on Thursday, February 19, 2026, and anticipates formally appointing him to the position on Monday, February 23, 2026.
The confirmation comes after a period of political maneuvering following Pavel’s rejection of Filip Turek, another nominee from the Motorist party, for the same post. This situation has prompted discussions about the balance of power between the presidential office and the governing coalition.
“Immediately after receiving the report, or rather the letter, from the Prime Minister regarding the nomination of Mr. Igor Červený, I wrote back confirming receipt, that I would meet with him as soon as I finish my visit to Prague, that is on Thursday, and that I anticipate his appointment on Monday morning. It is essentially the fastest possible timeframe,” Pavel said during a press conference in Prague with Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda.
Pavel added, “I certainly do not plan any delays. I will meet with Mr. Červený to, like with other proposed candidates, have the opportunity to get to recognize him, hear his views, and then the formal appointment will seize place.”
Responding to questions, Pavel also addressed his previous decision to reject Filip Turek as Minister of the Environment, a role currently filled by Motorist party leader and Foreign Minister Petr Macinka.
“I did not perceive the whole situation as a dispute with the Motorists or about who would come out on top. I considered it a matter of principle, I mean not appointing Filip Turek to any ministry,” Pavel stated. He also described messages sent by Macinka to a presidential advisor, urging Turek’s appointment, as attempts at blackmail.
The President emphasized that his decision not to appoint Turek was not a conflict with the political party. “I did not see any fundamental dispute between the Presidential Office and the Motorists. If anyone interprets it that way, that is their business. For me, the whole matter is closed,” Pavel said.
The appointment of Červený follows a proposal from Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, who announced the nomination on February 16, 2026, after the initial candidate, Turek, was deemed unsuitable by Pavel, according to Czech Television.
Červený, a member of parliament, will accompany Motorist party spokesperson Lukáš Koutník to the meeting with President Pavel, České noviny reported.
