The President of the Czech Republic, Miloš Zeman, said: “summon the hyenas,” to allow journalists to enter a ceremonial room.
In the country of the Czech Republic, president Miloš Zeman is well known for bad relationships with the media.
For years, he has been calling journalists out for being “incompetent human beings that have never done anything real in their lives”.
His opinion on the “watchdogs of democracy” became even more apparent on Wednesday when he was supposed to name a new Minister of Health.
Firstly, Zeman forbade the journalist from the celebrational room of the Prague Castle, where the naming of ministers and the government usually takes place.
Only after the president was seated in the room, he said: “summon the hyenas” so that journalists could enter.
No media personnel was supposed to see or record him entering the room as Zeman has severe walk impediment. He’s reportedly suffering from neuropathy of his lower limbs due to diabetes.
However, a camera from a Czech commercial TV Nova remained turned on. Although it snapped only the ceiling of the room, Zeman’s words were recorded, TN.CZ says on Twitter.
„Pozvěte hyeny,” prohlásila hlava státu pravděpodobně na adresu přítomných novinářů těsně před začátkem ceremoniálu.#tncz pic.twitter.com/wjKxs3Nvz1
— TN.CZ (@TNcz_zpravy) April 7, 2021
The change of ministers as a part of Sputnik V propaganda
Although the Czech Republic is a parliamentary democracy, where the Prime Minister holds the actual power, and the president plays more of a ceremonial role, Zeman still is the one who officially names the government after the recommendation of the PM.
After five months in the office, mostly fighting the pandemics, the former Minister of Health, Jan Blatný, was suddenly replaced by Peter Arenberger.
One of the reasons why Blatný was reportedly forced to leave was his approach towards the Russian vaccine Sputnik V.
Blatný claimed that he wouldn’t allow any vaccine that hadn’t been approved by the European Medical Agency, the authority on pharmaceutical products in the European Union.
So far, only Pfizer/BioNTech, AstraZeneca, and Moderna vaccines are used in the Czech Republic. Sputnik V has officially applied for the certification in March 2021, and hasn’t been approved yet.
Zeman, who focuses his foreign politics on Russia and China, opposed the ban on Sputnik V. The vaccine has now been used as a geopolitical tool of influence, and by approving it, Zeman would underline his allegiance to the authoritative regime of Vladimir Putin.
Arenberger has already confirmed that he is looking for additional ways to approve Sputnik V for use in the country.
A secret order of Sputnik V also led to governmental issues in Slovakia.
