President Zeman again rejects promoting spy chief Koudelka

The Office of President Miloš Zeman has released a list of people he plans to promote to the rank of general ahead of the anniversary of Czechoslovakia’s founding next week. Yet again, Michal Koudelka, head of the counter-intelligence service BIS, is not on it.

The president has been highly critical of the BIS in highlighting the activities of Russian and Chinese agents on Czech territory. Zeman has five times rejected the government’s proposal to name Koudelka a general.

Zeman has accepted other nominees on the government’s list, including Police President Jan Švejdar and Prison Service head Petr Dohnal.