President “closes door” in response to US ambassador, deepening diplomatic row

Czech President Miloš Zeman at the weekend made headlines when he told the online Parlamentní listy that the current ambassador to Prague was no longer welcome at Prague Castle. The president told the news site the door was closed, after the US ambassador raised doubts last week about the president’s planned visit to Russia. Although Ambassador Andrew Schapiro said no one could presume to tell the president what to do, he suggested that attending a military parade in Moscow on May 9 was unfortunate.

Andrew Schapiro, Miloš Zeman, photo: CTK

Ever since it was announced, President Zeman’s plan to attend celebrations in Moscow marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, have come under criticism or been met with surprise. The former interim head of the centre-right Civic Democrats, Miroslava Němcová was one of the first to slam the plans, saying no such trip should be covered financially by the government; she wasn’t the last to suggest the visit is a mistake.

Last week, the US Ambassador to Prague, Andrew Schapiro, said in an interview for Czech TV that the decision by Mr Zeman to attend sent an unfortunate symbolic message – not least given the fact other EU heads-of-state have not accepted an invitation from Vladimir Putin. Western leaders are boycotting the parade over Russia’s annexation of Crimea and further intervention in Ukraine. Even now President Miloš Zeman has made clear he will not be put off, saying he will travel to Moscow with one primary aim: to honour Soviet soldiers and citizens who died at the hands of the Nazis. On Monday, his spokesman Jiří Ovčáček reiterated that the president would not change his plans:

“The president does not intend to justify his reasons to any ambassador to honour the victims of Nazism, 20 million Soviet citizens, and the 150,000 soldiers who died fighting to liberate Czechoslovakia. He considers it inappropriate for the ambassador of any country, to [interfere] in a decision by the head of a sovereign state.”

A day earlier, the president himself fanned the flames of the diplomatic row when he told Parlamentni listy the door to his office was now closed to the US ambassador: his comment made international headlines, and fuelled speculation the planned trip will only hurt Czech-US relations. The Wall Street Journal and other media noted that the May 9 parade will put Mr Zeman in the company of rulers like North Korea’s Kim Jong-un. The Russian media, by contrast, praised the Czech president’s decision and resolve to attend.

Miloš Zeman, photo: Filip Jandourek

Key politicians such as Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka have since expressed a measure of frustration: Mr Sobotka said he hoped the president would be more professional in his choice of words and has called for a meeting to once again discuss foreign policy issues, not least because it is the government and not the head-of-state, which is responsible for setting the course of foreign policy. The US State Department later issued a statement backing the US ambassador: spokeswoman Marie Harf said the United States understood countries wanted to recognise those who made sacrifices in WWII but suggested that because of the escalation of events in Ukraine, this was no time for business as usual.

I spoke with political analyst Radko Hokovský, the head of the think tank European values, asking how he saw developments. Is the president right in traveling to Moscow on May 9 or is his attendance questionable, as the ambassador and critics suggest?

“It absolutely is questionable, as it was rightly pointed out by the ambassador, Mr Zeman will be one of the few taking part in this overview of the Russian army – the same army that is interfering in the conflict in Ukraine. This is certainly something which should be thought through because by his attendance the president represents the Czech Republic. Meanwhile, the clear position of the Czech government is that Russia is aggressive in Ukraine and the government is sticking to the position of the EU and the trans-Atlantic alliance.”

The ceremony on May 9 will include the ruler of North Korea; it seems paradoxical that a democratic head of a European state should attend. Why doesn’t Mr Zeman ‘get it’ since he is the one of the few, perhaps only confirmed EU head-of-state at the moment?

“Mr Zeman is sticking to his interpretation that the visit is to commemorate soldiers who died in WWII and he is not reflecting on the broader political context. Sadly, he is also ignoring the presence of dictators. I don’t really have a clear interpretation of this but I think the government should distance itself from the president’s steps.”

Radko Hokovský, photo: archive of Charles University

The other thing which is striking is the president’s response: he said on Sunday that the door to the Prague Castle is closed to US Ambassador Schapiro. Do you think he, if not overstepping his bounds, at the very least did not help the situation?

“In my opinion, it is an inadequate reaction. Ambassador Schapiro’s comment was understandable and even if you prefer a different interpretation, the comments were not insulting or interfering in Czech politics. He was presenting the legitimate stance of our ally, the United States. And I don’t think the response from the Czech president was adequate. To shut to the doors to the American ambassador at the same time when Mr Zeman meets with Russian diplomats or close advisors to Mr Putin is very strange. It appears to show that Mr Zeman is unaware the Czech Republic is a close ally of the United States and not with Russia.”