Czech president Miloš Zeman causes fury

President of the Czech Republic Milos Zeman arriving for a reception at Buckingham Palace, London for Nato leaders to mark 70 years of the Nato alliance. - Credit: PA

Czech president Miloš Zeman has found himself in hot water after calling transgender people ‘disgusting’ during a recent television interview.

Zeman was being questioned on the recent legislation in Hungary that bans the public portrayal of homosexuality and gender reassignment. Senior figures within the European Union have harshly criticised the policy.

Unless it scales back on the law, Hungary faces a legal challenge in the EU’s highest court. Luxembourg prime minister Xavier Bettel feels that Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán should also be subject to an as-yet untested procedure to cut EU funding for those who violate rules.

In an interview with CNN Prima News, the Czech president said that the EU was making a serious mistake by interfering in a nation’s internal affairs, before defending Orbán.

“I don’t see any reason to disagree with him,” he emphasised. He then added that he didn’t “understand” lesbians and gay people.

“But you know who I don’t understand at all? Transgender people,” Zeman contuinued. He then proceeded to tell the interviewer that he found transgender people “intrinsically disgusting”.

“If you undergo a sex-change operation you are basically committing a crime of self-harm,” the president said.

His controversial comments aired just as several cities around the world celebrate gay pride, with parades and marches being held to improve LGBT visibility.

The pride march set to occur in Prague, the Czech capital city, is then scheduled to take place in the first week of August.

ILGA-Europe, the LGBT advocacy group, fear that Zeman’s comments demonstrate that the Czech republic could quickly follow the path of Hungary and Poland in its attitude towards the LGBT community.

While Czech presidents have limited executive powers, Zeman, and his predecessors, have still been able to drive the public debate. In the past, Zeman has offered support towards China and Russia and has also spoken out against immigration from Muslim countries.

More than half the EU’s 27 member states have banned the Hungarian law that prohibits educational resources for children that are seen to promote homosexuality and gender reassignment.

“Viktor Orbán says that he is not against homosexuals, but that he is against the manipulation not only of parents but also of children in sex education,” said Zeman’s spokesperson on Twitter.

Prior to his most recent comments, the Czech president made headlines by casting doubt over his government’s stance that Russia was involved in a 2014 explosion at an arms depot.

Czech prime minister Andrej Babis had reiterated that there was “irrefutable evidence” to charge two Russian GRU intelligence agents over the catastrophic blast.

Meanwhile, the pro-Russian president was unwavering in his position at the blast could have been accidental. These comments were largely condemned by Czech lawmakers.