Growing tension between president and academics

There are growing protests against President Zeman’s decision not to name Martin C. Putna, a widely recognized Catholic intellectual, professor. Seven other professorial candidates are refusing to accept their decrees from the president’s hands and say they will boycott the ceremony in protest. Others have criticized the president’s decision and are awaiting the outcome of a meeting between President Zeman and the rector of Charles University Vaclav Hampl. Under growing public pressure President Zeman on Monday clarified the reason for refusing to name Mr. Putna professor. He said it was due to the wording of a banner that he carried at Prague’s Gay Pride parade two years ago which did not correspond to his notion of how a university professor should appear in public. The president is to give a press conference on the issue on Wednesday.