Former dissident, prime minister of the federal government and later long-term chairman of the Senate, Petr Pithart, confirmed to Seznam Zprávám that the president agreed to the proposal for his award. He will arrive at the Castle on October 28.
“Yes, I have already been asked for personal data,” Pithart answered in a text message when asked if the Office of the President of the Republic had already contacted him about the award.
Another person who plans to personally come to Prague Castle for the award is Zdena Mašínová.
“I’ll probably arrive. They called me saying they were sending it in writing, so I should have it in my mailbox this week,” she responded to Seznam Zpráv’s question.
In 25 days, for the first time, President Petr Pavel will hand out state awards in the Vladislav Hall at Prague Castle. According to the Castle, the scenario of the ceremony will be similar to previous years.
“The state awards ceremony has a traditional course – the arrival of historical banners and presidential standards, the arrival of the President of the Republic, the national anthem, the speech of the President of the Republic, the presentation of state awards and the departure of the banners and everyone present,” outlined the basic points of the program of the president’s press department.
The organization on October 28 is one of the most demanding events of the year at Prague Castle. Approximately 700 guests can fit into the Vladislav Hall, and hundreds to thousands of people will attend the subsequent reception.
President Petr Pavel proceeds in the same way as his predecessors and does not announce the names of the recipients in advance. Both deputies and senators submitted their proposals to him during the year.
Kubera? Schwarzenberg?
President Petr Pavel recently received a petition for honoring members of the resistance group of the Mašín brothers, who were nominated by the Senate this year for a medal for heroism. It was signed by more than thirty personalities, including several senators. But Pavel said earlier that he would not honor the Mašín brothers.
The president also has a proposal for an award in memoriam for the former chairman of the Senate, Jaroslav Kubera. The then president Miloš Zeman wanted to honor Kubera – in memoriam – already in 2020, who wanted to award him the Order of the White Lion, i.e. the highest state award.
Věra Kuberová refused to accept the award. According to her, the situation is different this year. In a statement for Nauzal, she stated that no one from the Castle has yet contacted her.
Types of state awards of the Czech Republic
– Order of Tomáš Garrigu Masaryk
The Castle does not want to say in advance how many personalities the president will honor.
“The leadership of both chambers of the Parliament of the Czech Republic (chairmen, vice-chairmen), chairmen of committees and clubs are traditionally invited to the state awards ceremony in the Vladislav Hall. All MPs and senators are usually invited to the reception in the Spanish Hall,” said the Castle’s communications department when asked which of the politicians would be invited.
The Senate also proposed to honor former Chancellor of the President Václav Havel, ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs and honorary chairman of TOP 09 Karel Schwarzenberg. He already has an invitation to the Castle, he doesn’t know if he will get the metal.
“I received an invitation to the ceremony from the Castle. I leave the decision on the awarding of the medal entirely to the decision of Mr. President,” Schwarzenberg said in a statement to Nauzal.
Selection of proposals for state honors from the House of Representatives and the Senate
- Jaroslav Kubera (in memoriam) – the long-time mayor of Teplice and chairman of the Senate, who died in 2020, an opponent of bureaucracy and restrictions on freedom.
- Peter Pithart – former dissident and long-term legislator, former Czech prime minister and long-time president of the Senate.
- Zdena Mašínová Jr. – persecuted by the communist regime because of the activities of her brothers Josef and Ctirad Mašín.
- Tomáš Halík – priest, professor of the Faculty of Arts of Charles University, president of the Czech Christian Academy.
- Marta Kubišová – singer and spokesperson for Charter 77.
- Karel Schwarzenberg – co-founder of the Czechoslovak Documentation Center for the Support of Czechoslovak Dissent and Exile, former legislator and member of the government, chancellor of President Václav Havel, honorary chairman of TOP 09.
- Resistance band of brothers Machines − Josef Mašín Jr., Ctirad Mašín (in memoriam), col. Ctibor Novák (in memoriam), Václav Švéda (in memoriam), Milan Paumer (in memoriam), Zbyněk Janata (in memoriam) – members of the most famous anti-communist resistance group.
- Jiří Grygar – astronomer and physicist, important Czech popularizer of science in the field of astronomy and astrophysics.
- Dominik Hasek – ice hockey goalkeeper and Olympic champion, is involved in favor of sanctions against Russian and Belarusian athletes due to aggression against Ukraine.
- John the Trojan – theater, film and television actor, winner of the Thalia and Czech Lion awards.
- Jan Švejnar – economist
- Eliška Wagnerová – former constitutional judge
