Pressure mounts on Czech president over planned Russia visit

Czech president Miloš Zeman is facing mounting pressure over his decision to attend an event in Moscow in May marking the 70th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany. Opposition politicians, wary of providing a propaganda victory for Vladimir Putin, sought for the Czech government to deny financing for the trip, while protesters have delivered a petition to the Czech Senate urging the body to investigate Zeman’s actions.

Miloš Zeman, photo: Khalil Baalbaki

The charge levelled by critics is that Miloš Zeman’s decision to attend a Victory Day event in Moscow on May 9 plays into the hands of Russian President Vladimir Putin and dilutes the stand taken by many Western democracies opposed to the annexation of Crimea and invasion of eastern Ukraine. The Czech president has said his absence would be disrespectful to the Russian soldiers who helped oust the Nazi regime.

Countless heads of state and governments have declined to attend the Moscow parade, including Barack Obama, François Hollande, David Cameron and Angela Merkel (though she is set to attend an event a day later) – as well as the leaders of Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic states. Conversely, the list of confirmed attendees places the Czech president in the company of the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un, who will be making his first foreign trip, as well as the leaders of China, Cuba, India, Mongolia, South Africa and Vietnam.

The trip also led to former lower chamber speaker Miroslava Němcová (Civic Democratic Party) urging the Czech government not to pay for Zeman’s trip. Instead, Němcová suggested, the end of World War II should be marked in a more “dignified” manner than by “siding with a country breaking international law.” The request was ultimately declined – the government will foot the bill. Speaking of the decision, Czech PM Bohuslav Sobotka said that Mr. Zeman’s trip would change nothing about the country’s position on the Ukraine conflict, and that those Russians who fell liberating Czechoslovakia were not responsible for today’s “unacceptable behaviour” by Vladimir Putin.

Michal Majzner, Přemysl Sobotka, Jaromír Jermář, photo: CTK

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, a petition signed by more than 11,000 citizens was delivered to the Czech Senate, asking the upper house to investigate the Czech president’s actions and consider impeachment proceedings against the head of state. According to the Czech petition-signers, led by activist Michal Majzner, Zeman’s opposition to sanctions against the Putin regime following events in Ukraine suggests the president is acting against the interests of the Czech Republic. The petition was formally accepted by Senate vice president Přemysl Sobotka and the chairman of the petition committee Jaromír Jermář. According to Sobotka, the Senate will now seek to invite Mr. Zeman to the upper chamber to explain his statements on Ukraine.