Czech Party Seeks to Strip Zelensky of Order of the White Lion

PRAGUE, June 30. /TASS/. The SPD (Freedom and Direct Democracy) party, part of the Czech government coalition, will seek to strip Vladimir Zelensky of the country's highest state award, the Order of the White Lion, according to CTK news agency.

According to its information, the SPD will put forward the proposal at the upcoming meeting of the party leaders of the Czech government coalition. The party will also submit it to the Chamber of Deputies (lower parliament house) for the parliamentarians to make the recommendation to the president. Only the head of state can deprive someone of the award.

Lower house of parliament deputy Jindrich Rejchl, who put forward the initiative, said he was inspired by Poland’s example. Its president recently stripped Zelensky of Poland's highest state award, the Order of the White Eagle.

"We cannot remain silent about the fact that our highest state award is held by a man who names military units after Nazi monsters," Rejchl said.

Shortly after February 24, 2022, Zelensky was awarded the Order of the White Lion by the then President Milos Zeman.