The Czech opposition sharply criticized the recent statements of Tomio Okamura, who heads the right-wing Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) movement. Politicians appealed to Prime Minister Andrej Babisz to distance himself from the words of his coalition partner. Opposition politicians also want a debate and adoption of a critical resolution regarding the SPD leader's statements.
The main flashpoint was Tomio Okamura's New Year's speech. In his address to the nation, he stated that the Czech Republic must “end its position as a subordinated and exploited country.” — You cannot use the money owed to Czech pensioners, disabled citizens and families with children to buy weapons and send them to wage a completely senseless war, said the politician.
— Let Western companies and governments, as well as Ukrainian thieves from the circle of Volodymyr Zelensky's junta, who build their toilets out of gold, let them steal, but not with our money, let such a country not be in the European Union, he added.
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What were the reasons for criticizing Tomio Okamura?
Who criticized Okamura's statements?
How did the Czech Prime Minister react to Okamura's words?
What did the Ukrainian ambassador in Prague say about Okamura's statement?
Harsh words from a Czech politician. Ukraine's decisive reaction
Prime Minister Andrej Babis has not yet commented on the New Year's words of his coalition partner, but, like Tomio Okamura, he supports ending military aid to Ukraine and opposes the European Union taking out loans for this purpose.
The statement of the Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies, who holds the third highest position in the country after the President and Prime Minister, was criticized by Ukrainians. On Friday, the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk, reacted sharply, saying that the Czechs themselves would judge Okamura most severely. On Thursday, Ukrainian Ambassador in Prague Vasyl Zvarycz called the words of the Czech politician “undignified, unacceptable and offensive.” “We expect that state authorities and civil society in the Czech Republic will appropriately evaluate this statement in terms of the high function held by this politician,” Zwarycz wrote.
In response, Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka told the CTK agency that he did not consider it appropriate for an ambassador of a foreign country to publicly evaluate the statements of one of the highest representatives of the Czech state. – If any diplomatic mission has concerns or questions, there are standard diplomatic channels. Czech politics is the matter of Czech citizens and their democratically elected representatives,” Macinka emphasized.
After the last elections in October 2025, Tomio Okamura's anti-EU SPD movement, which opposes illegal migration, joined the coalition government formed by Andriy Babis. Okamura's first decision as chairman of the Chamber of Deputies was to personally remove the Ukrainian flag from the parliament building. It has been hanging there since the beginning of Russian aggression against Ukraine in 2022.
