Prague, June 21 (CTK) – Czech President Milos Zeman was presented with the Order of the Czech Freedom Fighters (CSBS) at the CSBS’s 10th congress yesterday and criticised the “pseudo-elite whom no one elects” and who consider their opinions standing above other people’s.
Zeman, who is a CSBS member, was decorated with the Cross of the Czech Freedom Fighters in the past.
Yesterday, he was awarded for his “long-time support for freedom and democracy.”
In addition to Zeman, the order was also presented to war veteran Pavel Vransky and Antonin Sticha, who fought in the Prague Uprising in May 1945.
Jindrich Forejt, head of the Presidential Office’s protocol, was among those decorated with the CSBS Cross.
In his speech, Zeman spoke about the need to protect freedom of opinion. He said even yesterday there exist enemies of an open society.
“They are those who do not allow for an equal dialogue and equality of all opinions. Those, who assert that certain opinions stand above other people’s. This is true of the current debate on the migrant crisis, for instance,” Zeman said.
He also mentioned “a priest who wanted to run for president.”
Zeman was alluding to Catholic priest and theologian Tomas Halik.
“According to the church law, the church authorities have banned him from doing this,” Zeman said.
Instead of saying he wanted to run for president, but he cannot, he declared he could not run because there are too few wise people in the Czech nation.
Zeman said this might also be interpreted as saying “my nation is not worth me.”
“Might it be true that in fact this man is not worth his nation?” Zeman said.
The CSBS congress yesterday re-elected Jaroslav Vodicka to the post of chairman and Emil Kulfanek to the post of his first deputy.
In May, Czech Jewish organisations criticised Vodicka’s address at a ceremonial event that remembered the victims of Nazi persecutions, labelling his statements nationalist, xenophobic and anti-German.
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