Ukrainian flags in Czechia – what is the ongoing debate?
Last Thursday, Tomio Okamura (SPD) ordered the removal of the Ukrainian flag from the Czech lower house of parliament shortly after being elected its speaker. The act sparked widespread debate across the Czech political scene. The latest reaction came from President Petr Pavel, whose stance can be summarised as: flags are a symbol, but it would be worse if Czechia stopped its aid to Ukraine.
By Thursday afternoon, the Ukrainian flag had been removed from the lower house of parliament, with its initiator, Tomio Okamura, documenting the process in a video on social media. Okamura, leader of the Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party, said that he was fulfilling a pre-election promise and explained that it is Czech flags that should hang on Czech official buildings. He told Czech Television that it had nothing to do with ideology.
The Ukrainian flag had been hanging on the building of the Chamber of Deputies since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 as a symbol of solidarity. Now, the building displays the Czech flag, the flag of the European Union, and the Israeli flag, which was raised following the Hamas terrorist attack in October 2023.
Mixed political reactions
Reactions from the ANO Party - currently negotiating the formation of the new government alongside SPD and the Motorists’ Party - have been mixed. On one hand, Taťána Malá, head of ANO‘s parliamentary group, told Czech Television that while Okamura had every right to take down the flag, she personally would not have done so. On the other hand, Karel Havlíček, ANO deputy chair, said that if he becomes Minister of Industry and Trade, he would also remove the Ukrainian flag from his ministry, albeit not on his first day in office.
According to Havlíček Ukrainian flags should gradually be removed from all Czech official buildings, as they have already fulfilled their symbolic role as an expression of solidarity.
This view is not shared by MPs of the outgoing government coalition and the Pirate Party. They condemned the removal of the flag from the lower house of parliament and, in a gesture of protest and ongoing solidarity, hung Ukrainian flags from the windows of their parliamentary offices. Former Speaker and Okamura’s predecessor, Markéta Pekarová Adamová (TOP 09), described the removal as a disgraceful gesture. Mayors and Independents (STAN) leader Vít Rakušan added that Okamura “trampled” on values like solidarity and courage to support a country under attack by Russia.
In this context, the Ukrainian flag clearly carries strong symbolic significance - at least according to Ruslan Stefanchuk, chairman of the Ukrainian parliament. He wrote on X that the flag represents the fight for freedom and condemned its removal as a “rather questionable achievement.” In response, he raised a Czech flag in the Ukrainian parliament as a gesture of gratitude for Czechia’s long-standing solidarity and support.
On the other side, Russian reaction came from diplomat Rodion Miroshnik, described by the Russian state news agency as a representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry on Crimes Committed by the Kyiv Regime. His post on Telegram highlights the gesture's potential implications for Czech policy toward Ukrainian refugees.
Implications for Czech policies on Ukraine
While symbols carry weight, the question remains whether the removal of the Ukrainian flag foreshadows future policies. Czech Radio political commentator Petr Hartman pointed out that developments will largely depend on how the new government approaches the events in Ukraine and the situation of those who have fled to Czechia. He added:
“If we look at the government’s Policy Statement, it largely avoids these issues, using very general wording from which it is not immediately clear how the government will act. We will have to wait and see. I also think the president will play an important role in ensuring that aid to Ukraine is not reduced in any way.”
This stance seems to have been confirmed when the president addressed the flag’s removal on Monday, telling the Czech News Agency that Czech solidarity with Ukraine, which the flag symbolizes, should remain steadfast as the war continues. He added that a far greater harm than the removal of the flag would be a shift in Czechia’s support for Ukraine - whether material, financial, or military - which would have direct consequences on human lives. He emphasized that Czech aid must continue, not only as an act of solidarity, but also as a reflection of the values a democratic country should uphold.
Bohdan Rajčinec, a representative of the Ukrainian minority in the government council for minorities, said that the gesture saddened him, but emphasized that it changes little in practical terms.
“The act is sad. Ukrainians naturally see it with a certain sombreness. But one thing is symbols, and another is reality. The fact that the flag disappeared from this building will not change the course of things. The war will not stop, and the problems related to it, including those connected to Czechia, will not change either.”
Rajčinec further speculates that: “It is possible to expect more critical attitudes towards Ukrainians with temporary protection or residence in Czechia. But it depends on what the government actually does.”
He then adds that to him, portraying Ukrainians in Czechia negatively is factually questionable. According to data from the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs released on November 9th, Ukrainian refugees living in Czechia paid 8.2 billion CZK (approx. EUR 338 million) in taxes and social contributions in the third quarter of this year—more than double what the state spent on supporting them.
Ongoing debate
The debate over the Ukrainian flag on Czech official buildings is not new. This summer, the flag was removed from the National Museum on Wenceslas Square to make room for banners promoting an exhibition on the famous hominin remains Lucy and Selam. The exhibition ended on October 23, but the Ukrainian flag has not been reinstated, despite earlier statements by National Museum director Michal Lukeš. The museum now intends to continue using the building’s facade for promotional purposes.
In late October, dozens of people protested in an event called “Return the Flag to the Museum!” organized by the group Kaputin, demanding the flag be restored. There have also been demonstrations in the past opposing the flag, including as early as 2022.
During a Czech Radio debate from November Karlovy Vary regional councillor Karla Maříková (SPD) expressed her view:
“The flag of a foreign state, no matter which one, has no place on a national institution that represents Czech history, culture, and identity. That building should not be used to express temporary foreign policy positions or geopolitical sympathies of a specific outgoing government.”
In the same discussion, Otakar van Gemund, chairman of Kaputin, expressed that the flag is a vital symbol of solidarity with Ukraine, which continues to fight for survival under Russian aggression.
