Pavel delivers message of hope, gives state awards on Czechoslovak Independence Day

President Petr Pavel awarded tens of awards Monday evening, including the country's highest state decoration—the Order of the White Lion—and delivered a keynote speech at a ceremony at Prague Castle on Czechoslovak Independence Day, marking the establishment of Czechoslovakia in 1918.

The recipients included two late generals, Sergěj Ingr and František Moravec, as well as architect Eva Jiřičná and choreographer Jiří Kylián. Ingr was a Minister of National Defence of the London government-in-exile and ambassador to the Netherlands, while Moravec was the commander of the military intelligence service during World War II.

Pavel recognized Jiřičná for her architectural designs in the Czech Republic, the UK, and Northern Ireland, and Kylian for his work as a choreographer, dancer, and photographer in the Netherlands.

Pavel also awarded the Order of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk (TGM), the second-highest state decoration, to the late Pope John Paul II, who played a significant role in the fall of communist regimes in Central and Eastern Europe. Other recipients of the TGM Order included diplomat Karel Kovanda, politician Daniel Kroupa, former ombudsman Anna Šabatová, journalist Pavel Pecháček, and Roman Catholic priest Josef Suchár.

In his speech before awarding the state orders and medals, Pavel emphasized the need for personalities who deal with real problems and have visions and plans to lead the country. "The Czech Republic needed reforms of pensions, changes in healthcare, judiciary, education, environmental protection, digitization, taxes, and public administration," he said. "All these extremely complex tasks are a prerequisite for ensuring that the quality of life does not decline."

Pavel also said he still believed it was not true that society's ideas about the world divided it into two irreconcilable camps. "In reality, there are few issues that divide Czech society in half. Personally, I will continue to strive to ensure that they do not increase in the public debate. Above all, we should avoid hatred, which has never brought anything good," he said.

Pavel's speech was met with mixed reactions from politicians. Ivan Bartoš, outgoing chairman of the Pirates who Prime Minister Petr Fiala recently fired, praised the speech, saying it was "dignified and factual" and appreciated the support for civil society. 

"I think this was not only a message to the populist opposition, but also to the current government. In many areas, only the parameters are being changed, while necessary reforms, such as the law on housing support and the reform of the anti-trust office, are being delayed and blocked," he said.

Chamber of Deputies Speaker Markéta Pekarová Adamová and government TOP 09 chairwoman described the speech as "very good" and encouraging.

Fiala congratulated the awarded personalities, saying the ceremony was a "worthy celebration of the Czech Republic."

However, Tomio Okamura, leader of the opposition Freedom and Direct Democracy party, criticized the speech, saying Pavel had praised the government and stood against the opposition. 

Andrej Babiš, the chairman of the senior opposition ANO movement and former prime minister, wrote on the X network that he was sorry that writer Milan Kundera (both are sympathetic to one another) had not receive the award in memoriam. "He undoubtedly deserves it, which is why I will nominate him again next year," Babiš said.