The first deputy chairman of the ANO party, Karel Havlicek, stated that Ukrainian flags on government buildings in the Czech Republic "should be taken down." His comments came after the new Speaker of the House, Tomio Okamura, removed the Ukrainian flag from parliament. This was reported by Radio Prague International.
Havlicek mentioned that the Ukrainian flags "served their purpose as a symbol and expression of solidarity." He also suggested the possibility of removing the European flag from the Ministry of Industry and Trade building if he assumes the ministerial position.
"Of course, the flag will be taken down at some point, but we certainly won’t do it on the first day. However, I believe these flags should be removed from public institutions. I see nothing wrong with that," he added.
The statement came in light of Tomio Okamura's actions — the new Speaker of the House and leader of the right-wing populist SPD party. On November 6, he took down the Ukrainian flag from the parliament building. Okamura has long criticized the presence of Ukrainian flags on public institutions as a symbol of solidarity with Ukraine, which has faced a full-scale invasion by Russia.
In response, three factions in the Czech parliament independently displayed Ukrainian flags. The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk, noted that in a show of solidarity, the flag of the Czech Republic was raised in the Ukrainian parliament.