House Speaker Radek Vondráček (ANO) said after a meeting with the President on Thursday that Zeman was in a good mood and smiling. He visited the President accompanied by the Chancellor of the castle, Vratislav Mynář. The Central Military Hospital (ÚVN) distanced itself from his words. Police have also denied that an officer escorted Vondráček to President Miloš Zeman’s room on Thursday.
“The President is on bed rest, but he is communicating normally. There were no major restrictions. It was nice, the President was in a good mood, he was joking,” Vondráček described the meeting with him.
However, ÚVN disputed his words. “The ÚVN distances itself from the statements made by President Radek Vondráček regarding the health condition of the President. Information about the President’s health condition was provided exclusively to his closest relatives,” spokeswoman Jitka Zinke said. She further commented that Vondráček had been with Zeman without the knowledge of his attending doctor. “The hospital is registering the visit as an adverse event, which will be investigated.”
“The police of the Czech Republic did not accompany the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies to the President of the Republic. Vondráček visited the President accompanied by the Chancellor of the Castle, who was already there at the time,” police stated
In the beginning, Vondráček had mentioned that a police officer led him to his room but later corrected himself, claiming that he only walked with him halfway. “It’s a misunderstanding, and I am not a person who would lie or make things up. Moreover, out of respect for the President, his office, and the public, I would never allow myself to do such a thing, “he said.
Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) also criticized him for a visit. “I do not perceive it well at all. It was a big mistake by my colleague Vondráček, who did not inform me about the visit,” Babiš said. KDU-ČSL chairman Marian Jurečka said at a press conference on Friday afternoon that Vondráček should resign as head of the lower house immediately.