Czech PM apologizes for picking flowers in national park

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš publicly apologized on August 16 for picking flowers in a protected area near a hill known as Kailā kalns in the eastern part of the country. He said he is prepared to pay a fine if it turns out he broke the law.

The apology came in a video Babiš posted on his Facebook account, in which he explained that he picked the flowers in memory of a deceased colleague from his political movement, someone he had once visited the hill with.

The hike and the video

The footage, filmed during a hike on August 15, shows Babiš climbing the hill holding a small bunch of flowers before placing them at a monument on the summit. He was joined on the hike by two government ministers, politicians from his party, and supporters.

Expert assessment

An expert from an organization overseen by the Czech Ministry of the Environment told the local outlet iDNES that the flowers Babiš picked — narrow-leaved fireweed and ragwort — are very common plants, and that gathering them is generally not an issue even within a national park. As a result, the expert said, the prime minister is unlikely to actually face a fine.