‘Provocation’: Czech MP condemns giant Ukrainian flag in Prague
The display of a 30-meter Ukrainian flag on Prague’s Charles Bridge was an “unnecessary provocation,” the head of the Czech parliament’s lower house, Tomio Okamura, has said.
The event in the Czech capital on Saturday was initiated by Kiev’s embassy and was timed to mark the 107th anniversary of Ukraine’s unification, Okamura said.
“This is an unnecessary provocation by Ukrainians towards our citizens who do not agree with the mass migration of Ukrainians to the Czech Republic,” he wrote on X on Sunday, arguing that staging it at one of the country’s most historic sites was “not conducive to good Czech-Ukrainian relations.”
“We’re not in Ukraine, but in the Czech Republic,” Okamura said. “Can you imagine Czech emigrants in the past hanging 30-meter flags from the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben or elsewhere on October 28?” he added, referring to Czech Independence Day.
Okamura also said he had spoken to Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka to ensure the event would not be repeated, and noted that the government was preparing legislation to tighten rules on the stay of foreigners, including Ukrainians.
Several European countries, including Germany, Hungary, and Norway, have recently taken steps to curb social programs for Ukrainians, citing the prolonged conflict and the growing number of migrants as pressures on national budgets and housing markets. Surveys in Poland have also cited declining public support for Ukrainian immigrants and the benefits they receive.
