Czech President Petr Pavel labels Foreign Minister Petr Macinka as using mafia‑style tactics

President Petr Pavel publicly described Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka as employing “mafia‑style methods,” accusing him of intimidation, threats via SMS and attempts to pressure the presidential office. Pavel said he wanted the public to see “what Mr Macinka really is,” and warned that such conduct exceeds the bounds of acceptable political behaviour.

Members of the Motorist party, including Adam Šejna and František Kubásek, responded by attacking Pavel for refusing to appoint a party‑aligned minister and for filing a competence complaint after his participation in a NATO summit. Šejna called Pavel “a danger to parliamentary democracy,” while Kubásek claimed the president was damaging the Czech Republic and lying abroad. The ministry of the environment said any breaches of its ethical code would be addressed legally.