The Czech Republic marks 27 years since joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which is considered one of the key moments in the country's modern history. On 12 March 1999, the Czech Republic, along with Poland and Hungary, became the first former Eastern Bloc countries to join NATO. This step symbolically confirmed the definitive integration of Central Europe into the Euro-Atlantic structures.

According to the chairman of TOP 09 Matěj Ondřej Havel the anniversary is not only a reminder of a historic decision, but also a commitment to the future.

„March 12, 1999 is the day we became part of the world's largest security architecture. It's not just a security umbrella for us, that's obviously essential, but it's also a commitment. To be a member of a security alliance is to have responsibilities, not just to ride on what others can do for us.“ uvedl.

He said the Czech Republic must realise that security is not a given. „Our security is not free and our allies rightly expect us to shoulder our share of responsibility. The Czech Republic must not be a security stowaway,“ he stressed.

TOP 09 therefore proposes to enshrine the Czech Republic's membership in NATO and the European Union directly into the Constitution. „We will propose that the Czech Republic's membership of the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization be enshrined in our constitution so that it is clear that our security and civilizational anchorage in the West is not subject to political experimentation.“ uvedl Havel.

At the same time, the party wants to strengthen parliamentary oversight of defence policy. It therefore plans to promote the establishment of a Subcommittee on Transatlantic Cooperation in the Chamber of Deputies, which would regularly evaluate the Czech Republic's fulfilment of its NATO commitments.

Vice-Chairman of TOP 09 Marek Ženíšek recalled that joining the Alliance had a broader political significance. „It wasn't just a question of security per se. It was a return to the family of democratic countries that share the responsibility for freedom and the defence of freedom in the world,“ he said, referring to the words of former President Václav Havel.

It was Václav Havel who considered joining NATO a major milestone. Already in 1999, he declared that after centuries of precarious existence, the security of the Czech state was finally firmly secured and the country had become an integral part of the Euro-Atlantic area.

At the same time, Ženíšek pointed to low defence spending. „It looks like we will be spending about 1.7 percent of GDP on defence, which may be the lowest of all the alliance countries. We will become the weakest link in the alliance - and that's a shame.“ He said. According to the recently approved state budget, defence spending should actually amount to just over 1.7 percent of GDP, below the alliance's target of two percent.

The deputy chairman of the TOP 09 club also criticised the government Michal Zuna. „Safety must be a priority. Yesterday, a budget was approved which, despite our proposals, does not increase funding for building our defence capability, either for the military or for cyber security,“ uvedl.

He said the government's actions are endangering the security of the state. „For this and many other reasons, we have no choice but to label this government as anti-patriotic. Saying that I am a patriotic government and yet doing nothing to strengthen the defence and security of the country is certainly not enough,“ prohlásil.

Security experts say the debate on defence spending and the Czech Republic's role in NATO is gaining importance, especially in the context of the war in Ukraine and the deteriorating security situation in Europe. In recent years, a number of NATO and European government officials have warned that alliance countries need to invest more in their own defence.

gnews.cz - GH