Czech Parliament Approves Defense Budget Below NATO Requirements

Czech lawmakers have passed a 2026 defense budget that doesn't reach NATO's spending requirements, despite pressure from the U.S. and their own president. The budget allocates 1.7% of GDP to defense, falling short of the alliance's 2% target.

PRAGUE — The Czech Parliament voted Wednesday to approve a defense budget for 2026 that doesn’t satisfy NATO spending requirements, ignoring appeals from both American officials and the nation’s president.

In a 104-87 vote in the lower chamber’s 200-member assembly, lawmakers — many supporting the new administration led by populist Prime Minister Andrej Babiš — authorized nearly 155 billion koruna ($7.4 billion) for the Defense Ministry. This represents slightly more than 1.7% of the country’s gross domestic product.

NATO requires member nations to dedicate 2% of GDP to defense spending. Czech expenditures would barely exceed the 2% threshold only when including defense-related funding distributed across other government departments. Whether this accounting method would satisfy alliance standards remains uncertain.

Defending his position, Babiš contended his administration faced competing priorities, including “the health of our citizens,” and described the allocation as “the maximum possible” given the deteriorated public financial situation left by the former government.

Alliance members pledged in 2014 to reach the minimum 2% GDP defense spending level, with NATO anticipating all countries, including the Czech Republic, would achieve this benchmark by the previous year.

During the 2025 Hague summit, responding to Trump administration demands, the alliance established more ambitious goals: investing 3.5% of GDP on essential defense needs and an additional 1.5% on defense and security-related expenditures by 2035.

President Petr Pavel, a former military general, pressed legislators to boost the budget allocation, referencing Russia’s continuing assault on Ukraine. “Today, there is not a single justifiable reason for defense and security spending to stagnate,” Pavel stated.

While the president must approve the budget, he has indicated he will sign it, acknowledging that budgetary decisions belong to the government’s authority rather than his own.

Babiš regained leadership following his ANO (YES) movement’s decisive victory in October elections, establishing a coalition government with two smaller parties: the Freedom and Direct Democracy party and the Motorists. Their platform includes reducing support for Ukraine and opposing certain European Union initiatives.

U.S. Ambassador Nicholas Merrick has emphasized Czech NATO responsibilities to the nation’s leadership.

“If Czechia fails to fulfill its commitments, it impacts the entire alliance,” Merrick addressed a Prague security conference last week. “And I don’t need to remind you, and the Czech people, how essential it is that allies honor commitments.”

The ambassador warned that with the proposed defense spending plan, “Czechia would risk being among the lowest spenders in the alliance, and would be demonstrating negative momentum compared to peer NATO partners.”