Czech President Petr Pavel intends to discuss the controversial New Year's speech by Chamber of Deputies Speaker Tomio Okamura with Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. In his address, the politician lashed out at Ukraine, labeling Volodymyr Zelensky's inner circle a "junta."
As reported by Hvylya, Pavel made the announcement on X (formerly Twitter). The President emphasized that statements from the third-highest official in the state hierarchy raise serious concerns not only domestically but also among international allies.
"The coordination of foreign and security policy is the bedrock of our credibility as a partner," Pavel noted.
Meanwhile, the Czech opposition has already initiated proceedings to remove the Speaker. Leaders of the ODS, STAN, Pirates, KDU-ČSL, and TOP 09 parties have agreed on a joint course of action. The ODS party described Okamura's words as "unacceptable and deceitful manipulation," while STAN leader Vít Rakušan characterized them as "shameful." Representatives of other political forces added that such "collaborationist statements" play right into the Kremlin's hands.
The scandal was triggered by Okamura's speech, in which he opposed military aid to Kyiv, calling it support for an "absolutely senseless war." He also urged Prague to "jump off the Brussels train," which he claimed is leading to World War III, and accused Ukrainian officials of corruption, alleging they are "building gold toilets."
Vasyl Zvarych, Ukraine's Ambassador to the Czech Republic, called the rhetoric "full of hatred" and shaped by Russian propaganda.
Under parliamentary rules, removing the Speaker requires a written petition from at least two-fifths of deputies (minimum 80 out of 200). The opposition, holding 92 seats, can initiate the process; however, the final vote will be challenging as the governing coalition controls 108 votes.
In turn, Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka stated he did not find it appropriate for a foreign ambassador to publicly evaluate statements made by one of the Czech Republic's top constitutional officials.
Ukraine’s Reaction
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha delivered a sharp response to his Czech counterpart Petr Macinka, who had criticized Ambassador Vasyl Zvarych for his reaction to Speaker Okamura's scandalous remarks.
Sybiha emphasized that the Ukrainian ambassador "acted absolutely correctly" by responding to the Speaker's outrageous insults toward Ukraine and its leadership, noting that he "did so diplomatically."
According to the Minister, all Ukrainian ambassadors are instructed to defend the nation's dignity.
"Therefore, I reject such lectures and instead call on my new Czech colleague to engage in constructive dialogue to strengthen the mutually beneficial Ukrainian-Czech strategic partnership," Sybiha wrote on X.
