Budget and moral responsibility

Much as Pres. Petr Pavel declared on Nov. 12 that it could raise the suspicion that he was creating an "unconstitutional state of affairs" if he appointed Andrej Babiš as PM without it being clear how Babiš intended to resolve his conflict of interest, he hinted on Feb. 11 that he might have to veto the 2026 budget because it violates the law on budget responsibility. In both cases, Pavel took a firm moral and media stance and then reversed himself. He appointed Babiš without worrying about the "unconstitutional state of affairs," and he declared this week that he won't veto the budget. This makes Pavel's address to the lower chamber of Parliament next month one of the most difficult speeches of his political career. It was penciled in while he was still in full opposition mode, but now he'll have to explain why he's going to sign the "illegal" budget bill even though his presidential vow requires him to uphold the country's laws. Instead of a speech about budget responsibility, it becomes one about moral responsibility.