A political dispute has erupted in Prague surrounding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Czech ultra-right party "Freedom and Direct Democracy" (SPD) has launched a campaign to strip the Ukrainian leader of the Order of the White Lion. The trigger for these actions was a recent high-profile scandal in Poland, where Warsaw has already stripped Zelensky of his highest award.
Echoes of the Polish Scandal
The decision by Czech deputies was not accidental. They openly stated that they were inspired by the actions of the President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki. In mid-June, the Polish leader took back the Order of the White Eagle from Zelensky, citing the awarding of an honorary title to one of the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces units in honor of the Heroes of the UPA. This decision provoked a stormy reaction in Kyiv, where many officials announced their intention to renounce Polish awards; however, Warsaw confirmed that the order had been returned by mail and is now kept in the President's office.
The Czech President's Position
Despite the active stance of the ultra-right, their initiative cannot be implemented in Czechia. The team of the country's President, Petr Pavel, has clearly defined the legal boundaries: a state award can only be revoked by a court decision.
The spokesperson for the head of state, Markéta Ržeháková, explained that neither the Constitution nor current legislation grants the president the authority to independently revoke awards. According to her, the deprivation of an order is possible exclusively on the basis of a final court judgment providing for punishment in the form of deprivation of honorary titles. Such measures are generally applied only in cases provided for by the Criminal Code.
A Legal Dead End for the Initiators
Thus, the attempts by Czech deputies to take the order from Zelensky have hit a hard legal barrier. Without a corresponding court verdict, which is currently absent, the procedure for depriving the award is impossible. This puts an end to the attempts by Czech ultra-rightists to copy the Polish scenario, leaving Volodymyr Zelensky as the holder of the Order of the White Lion.
