Czech politicians of all stripes joined forces on Tuesday to slam the country’s outspoken president after he publicly mulled using a Kalashnikov to get rid of the prime minister, a political rival.



President Miloš Zeman and prime minister Bohuslav Sobotka were once allies but their relationship soured amid Europe’s record migrant crisis, with Zeman staunchly opposing the influx.

Asked at a public debate on Monday about how people could get rid of the pro-migrant Sobotka, Zeman said: “There is only one democratic option, which is a general election.”

“A non-democratic option is a Kalashnikov,” added the 71-year-old veteran leftwinger, the first ever directly elected president of the Czech Republic.

Vojtech Filip, the head of the opposition Communist party, told local media: “I hope he meant it as a joke, because it’s disgusting.”

Poking fun at Zeman, Christian Democrat MEP Pavel Svoboda tweeted a picture of actor Sylvester Stalone as Rambo gripping a Kalashnikov with the caption: “Will the president be able to hold the Kalashnikov himself, or will he hire someone to do it?”

Petr Fiala, head of the right-wing Civic Democrats, said: “This is unworthy of a head of state. He keeps provoking, splitting society, something a good politician would never dare do.”

Sobotka, who started his political career 20 years ago as a legislator for the Social Democrats led by Zeman at that time, said the president’s statement was, “stupid, unnecessary, and I will not react to it”.

“We are most likely the only country in the civilised world where the president openly calls for killing the prime minister,” Sobotka said on Twitter.

“I can deal with it myself, but I’m upset by the fact that Zeman has scared my children, the whole family and friends,” added the 44-year-old father of two.

Sixty per cent of Czechs believe their EU and Nato state of 10.5 million people should not accept refugees from war-torn countries, the Czech Academy of Science found in a poll in December.