Prague, Feb 7 (CTK) – Czech President Milos Zeman is uselessly stepping up tension in society when repeatedly criticising Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (Social Democrats, CSSD) and the party, Sobotka himself told the latest edition of the weekly Tyden that will appear on Monday.
The Czech Republic does not need any politicians who abuse the current threats for their political goals, Sobotka said.
Sobotka said Zeman should not “interfere” in the internal affairs of the CSSD he had left long time ago.
Instead, he should be a president beyond parties, he added.
“What we need is a realistic evaluation of the current risks associated with the migrant crisis and terrorism,” Sobotka said.
“We do not need the politicians who will expediently exaggerate the risks for the sake of their political goals,” Sobotka said.
The government is trying to ensure stability and security to the citizens, Sobotka said, adding that he would appreciate it if Zeman helped it in its efforts.
“With his attacks, he is doing quite the opposite. He is stepping up tension in society, which is quite useless,” Sobotka said.
He said he did not look for any “unproductive” arguments with the head of state.
Sobotka said he only had to react in the situation when Zeman stood on the same rostrum with Martin Konvicka, leader of the Islamophobic Bloc Against Islam and other people who were quite cynically abusing the current situation on November 17, 2015.
“They are trying to establish some political career on the backs of Syrian refugees,” Sobotka said.
“This harms Zeman. The people who advice him to behave in this way, probably do their job for the sake of something different than the Czech Republic,” Sobotka said.
He said he did not read criticism expressed by Zeman’s spokesman Jiri Ovcacek.
“What is said by Ovcacek has no importance,” he added.
As a man paid by taxpayers, Ovcacek should convey the president’s views, not pursue any politics himself, Sobotka said.
The relationship between Zeman and Sobotka has been tense of late, most recently after Zeman’s tour of the South Moravia Region.
Answering a question of how to achieve the dismissal of Sobotka, Zeman said that there were two ways for people to unseat a politician, a democratic one, which is participation in elections, and an undemocratic one, which is the Kalashnikov.
