Activists and politicians throughout the world protested American president Donald Trump’s Friday executive order that blocks refugees from seven Muslim countries from entering the U.S.
Czech President Miloš Zeman, however, praised Trumps’s policymaking efforts via spokesperson Jiri Ovacek.
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As reported by German publication EurActiv.de and other news outlets, Czech presidential spokesman Jiri Ovcacek tweeted on Saturday (January 28), following Trump’s controversial refugee ban, that “Trump is protecting his country, he’s concerned with the safety of his citizens.”
He added that “the safety of Czech citizens is a priority. Now we have allies in the US.”
Pan prezident se dlouhodobě vyjadřuje proti přijímání muslimských migrantů. Bezpečí občanů ČR je prioritou. Nyní máme spojence v USA.
— Jiří Ovčáček (@PREZIDENTmluvci) January 28, 2017
As backlash grows against Trump’s controversial policy, Zeman’s position of support would appear to be singular.
Political leaders throughout Europe have widely criticized the decision, most notably German Chancellor Angela Merkel who purportedly had to explain the Geneva Convention to Trump during a phone call, said a Berlin rep.
Trump and Zeman have repeatedly been hailed as political counterparts, both issuing controversial statements regarding the worldwide refugee crisis.
Here in the Czech Republic, reports are already surfacing of travelers who have been affected by the ban.
Read the story of Denise Ajiri a reporter for Radio Free Europe who arrived in the small Czech town of Melnik two days ago and is concerned she may be stranded there for much longer than expected.