Petr Pavel Cannot Revoke Zelenskyy’s Order: Explanation from the Office of the Czech President
1 July 04:20
The Czech movement “Freedom and Direct Democracy” (SPD) has proposed stripping Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Lion, the Czech Republic’s highest state honor. This was reported by the publication České noviny, according to "Komersant Ukrainian"
The reason for this was the adoption by one of Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces units of an honorary name associated with the heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army.
What the Czech SPD Party Proposed
The SPD wants the governing coalition to support a parliamentary appeal to President Petr Pavel proposing that Volodymyr Zelenskyy be stripped of the Order of the White Lion.
The initiative was launched by Jindřich Reichl, leader of the PRO party, whose deputies are members of the SPD parliamentary faction.
According to him, the proposal is initially planned to be brought before the coalition council. After that, the SPD wants to convince the Chamber of Deputies to officially appeal to the Czech president.
What sparked the controversy in the Czech Republic
The initiative was prompted by the Ukrainian president’s decision to grant one of the Special Operations Forces units an honorary name associated with the heroes of the UPA.
Jindřich Reichel called this decision unacceptable and stated that the recipient of the highest Czech honor should not honor military units toward which some Czech and Polish politicians have a negative attitude.
The SPD representative stated that the Czech Republic should not remain silent when a politician awarded the Order of the White Lion makes decisions regarding honorary names for Ukrainian military units.
“We cannot remain silent when our highest state order is held by a person who names military units after Nazi monsters,” Reichl said.
This statement drew sharp criticism from other Czech politicians, who accused the SPD of populism, politicizing state awards, and spreading sweeping anti-Ukrainian rhetoric.
Can Petr Pavel Revoke Zelenskyy’s Award?
The Office of the President of the Czech Republic stated that the head of state does not have the legal authority to unilaterally revoke an award that has already been granted.
Presidential spokesperson Vojtěch Šeliga explained that neither the Czech Constitution nor the law on state honors allows the president to simply decide to revoke an order.
A state award can be revoked only on the basis of a final court verdict, if the court imposes the appropriate punishment.
Under current regulations, such a penalty is possible only in conjunction with a prison sentence of at least two years for a crime committed for reasons deserving of special condemnation.
Therefore, even if parliament or the government were to appeal to Petr Pavel, this would not create an automatic legal mechanism for him to revoke the award.
When Zelenskyy Received the Order of the White Lion
Volodymyr Zelenskyy received the Order of the White Lion, First Class, in October 2022.
The award was presented by then-Czech President Miloš Zeman.
As reported by České noviny, a representative of the Ukrainian Embassy in Prague accepted the order on Zelenskyy’s behalf.
Zeman explained the decision by citing the Ukrainian president’s courage following the start of the full-scale Russian invasion.
He particularly noted that Zelenskyy refused to leave Kyiv and continued to lead the country’s defense.
What Is the Order of the White Lion?
The Order of the White Lion is the highest state award in the Czech Republic.
It is awarded to Czech citizens and foreigners for exceptional service to the state.
The award may be granted for:
- the defense of freedom and democracy;
- contributions to the security of the Czech Republic;
- the development of international relations;
- outstanding political or civic achievements;
- the protection of human rights;
- exceptional courage.
The President of the Czech Republic is the head of the order and presents the awards, but his authority to revoke an award that has already been granted is limited by law.
Why the SPD Cites Poland
Jindřich Reichl explained that the Czech Republic should allegedly follow Poland’s example.
A similar debate erupted in Poland after a Ukrainian unit was given an honorary name in honor of UPA heroes.
Polish politicians hold the UPA responsible for the mass killings of the Polish population in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia during World War II.
Some Polish leaders demanded that Ukraine reconsider its decision and stop officially honoring Stepan Bandera, the OUN, and the UPA.
In Ukraine, however, the UPA is viewed as a participant in the struggle for national independence against the Nazi and Soviet regimes.
What Happened to Zelenskyy’s Polish Order
On May 26, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree awarding one of the Special Operations Forces units the honorary designation “Named After the Heroes of the UPA,” emphasizing that this decision was aimed at restoring the historical traditions of the Ukrainian military.
This was followed by a series of critical statements from Poland. In particular, former President Lech Wałęsa stated that he would stop wearing a pin featuring the Ukrainian flag, while current Polish President Karol Nawrocki proposed considering the possibility of stripping Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle—Poland’s highest state award.
On June 19, Polish President Karol Nawrocki decided to strip Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga stated that “this is a strategic mistake by the Polish president, from which only Moscow stands to gain.”
In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy returned Poland’s highest state award via a commercial courier service. Other former Ukrainian presidents—Leonid Kuchma, Viktor Yushchenko, and Petro Poroshenko—had done the same.
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