The SPD (Social Democratic Party) unequivocally demands that the Order of the White Lion be revoked from Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The SPD is following the same procedure as in Poland.

PRAGUE – The SPD movement has announced that it will submit a proposal at a meeting of the coalition council for the Chamber of Deputies to adopt a resolution calling for the withdrawal of the highest Czech state award, the Order of the White Lion, from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. According to representatives of the movement, the proposal is inspired by the current debate in Poland, where initiatives have emerged calling for the withdrawal of the highest Polish state award – the Order of the White Eagle.

SPD Member of Parliament Jindřich Rajchl stated that his initiative is based on developments in neighboring Poland. According to him, the Czech Republic should also address this issue and open a political discussion about whether the reasons for awarding the state award to the Ukrainian president are still valid. "We will propose at the coalition council that the Chamber of Deputies call for the withdrawal of the Order of the White Lion from Volodymyr Zelenskyy. We are inspired by the approach in Poland, where the issue of withdrawing the highest state award, the Order of the White Eagle, is being addressed," Rajchl said.

The Order of the White Lion is the highest state award in the Czech Republic. It is awarded by the President of the Republic to individuals who have made an extraordinary contribution to the state or have contributed to the development of friendly relations between the Czech Republic and other countries. Volodymyr Zelenskyy received this award for his merits in defending the values of freedom and democracy, and for the development of Czech-Ukrainian relations. The SPD's proposal is likely to spark a heated political debate. Government officials have long supported Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression, and President Zelenskyy remains one of the main symbols of this support. However, the opposition is divided on the issue of continued military and financial assistance, and some politicians criticize the current extent of Czech involvement.

In Poland, initiatives calling for a reassessment of some awards given to the Ukrainian president have indeed emerged in recent weeks. However, these proposals are primarily political initiatives, and their potential adoption depends on the decisions of the relevant state institutions. Whether a similar proposal will be included in the agenda of the Chamber of Deputies in the Czech Republic and gain broader support across the political spectrum is not yet clear. Given the balance of power in the Chamber, it is expected that any debate will be highly polarized and will touch not only the issue of state awards, but also the overall attitude of the Czech Republic towards the war in Ukraine and the continued support for Kyiv.

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