Eva Pavlová school visit sparks political controversy in Czech Republic

First Lady Eva Pavlová visited a primary school in Roudnice nad Labem to celebrate the first day of school with new students, bringing small gifts and a book about Prague Castle.

The visit has sparked political criticism from MP Denis Doksanský, who posted on social media comparing the presence of photographs of the presidential couple left at the school to the cult of personality seen in totalitarian regimes like North Korea or the Soviet Union. Doksanský’s commentary drew comparisons to historical communist symbols and leaders.

In response to the controversy, the Ministry of Education clarified that there are no regulations requiring portraits of the president to be displayed in schools, noting that the school is not obligated to keep the photographs.