In his speech, Okamura claimed that the money allocated to support Czech pensioners, disabled individuals, and families with children should not be spent on purchasing weapons and sending them "to a continuing senseless war." He also accused Ukraine's partner countries of profiting from arms supplies on credit and referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a "junta." Additionally, he criticized the leadership of the European Union, stating that it is leading the "Brussels train" to World War III.
These statements provoked a negative reaction from several politicians. The head of the centrist liberal party STAN, Vít Rakušan, characterized Okamura's words as "reprehensible" and a disgrace to the entire country. The center-right Civic Democratic Party (ODS) also condemned his speech, calling it an example of unacceptable manipulation and intimidation that undermined the reputation of the Czech Republic.
Critical comments also came from the Ukrainian ambassador in Prague, Vasyl Zvarych, as well as the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk, who noted that the statements offended Ukraine and its citizens.
In response to the criticism, Okamura himself stated that the Czech opposition, in his words, "has no positive topics" that could improve the lives of citizens and the economic situation in the country.
Furthermore, on November 6, the day after his appointment as Speaker, Okamura ordered the removal of the Ukrainian flag from the facade of the parliament, emphasizing that "the Czech Republic comes first." This act also sparked widespread public resonance both in the Czech Republic and in Kyiv.
Tomio Okamura was elected Speaker of the Parliament with the support of the new ruling coalition, consisting of the populist ANO movement of billionaire Andrej Babiš and the Motorists for Themselves party. These political forces came to power after the parliamentary elections held on October 3-4, 2025, after which Babiš headed the government of the Czech Republic and stated that Prague would not take on commitments to finance Ukraine.
