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Czech Speaker Okamura Removes Ukrainian Flag as Opposition Hangs New Ones

The first-day move by the SPD leader turns a campaign pledge into a test of values during the transfer of power to a Babiš-led coalition.

Overview

  • Tomio Okamura ordered and helped remove the Ukrainian flag from the Chamber of Deputies building, posting video and declaring "The Czech Republic comes first."
  • The banner had flown on the parliament since February 2022 as a symbol of solidarity with Ukraine after Russia’s full-scale invasion.
  • Opposition lawmakers from ODS, STAN and the Pirate Party hoisted Ukrainian flags from their club windows, increasing the visible count from one to at least three.
  • Former speaker Markéta Pekarová Adamová condemned the removal as betraying humanism and solidarity, and Defense Minister Jana Černochová called the act a failed stunt.
  • The episode unfolded as Prime Minister Petr Fiala’s government resigned to clear the way for Andrej Babiš to form a cabinet with SPD and the Automobilists, drawing reactions from Ukrainian officials and Russian diplomats.