Okamura calls President Pavel a "scoundrel and hypocrite" amid conflict with the ruling coalition

Chamber of Deputies Speaker Tomio Okamura (SPD) launched a scathing attack on Czech President Petr Pavel in a recent interview, branding him a "scoundrel" and a "hypocrite." The outburst was triggered by long-running tensions between the head of state and the ruling coalition of ANO, SPD and the Motorists, as well as a past remark Pavel made about Okamura himself.

Okamura said communication between the president and the coalition has become unbearable. According to him, Pavel is behaving like an opposition politician who has effectively already kicked off a re-election campaign. "If he has some idea, he should tell the government and discuss it with those who are actually responsible for the matter, rather than talking about it abroad. That's not serious. I'm all for debate, but the other side shouldn't be setting people up," Okamura said.

The president has been at odds with the Motorists party for some time over his refusal to appoint their MP Filip Turek as a minister. More recently, the ANO movement has also joined in criticizing Pavel over his stance at the NATO summit — both parties agree that the head of state is acting like an opposition figure.

Okamura also brought up remarks Pavel made before he was even elected president — back in January 2023, during the election debates. At the time, Pavel was asked whether he would, hypothetically, appoint Okamura as education minister. "That's where I would genuinely see a security risk, and possibly even a moral threat to the upbringing of young people," Pavel replied.

"He wasn't president yet back then, and he said that in front of a million viewers. Now that's a real hypocrite," Okamura said, stressing that he had never personally met Pavel before that incident. "I don't have a single moral violation on my record. I've never stolen anything. I don't even take subsidies. And he never even apologized, after humiliating me in front of the whole country," the Chamber of Deputies speaker added.

Around Prague, based on reporting by seznamzpravy.cz