PM target of ridicule after his ill-mannered remarks caught on tape

Outgoing Prime Minister Jiří Rusnok has become a target of ridicule after his conversation with cabinet ministers was caught on tape in the lower house. Using expressive language, Mr. Rusnok complained that he did not feel like flying all the way to South Africa to attend Nelson Mandela’s funeral and expressed the hope that President Zeman would want to go instead. The conversation was picked up by Czech TV microphones and its transcript caused an uproar on news sites and social networks. The prime minister later apologized for his words saying he was under immense stress.

The Czech Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that it was not yet clear who would attend Nelson Mandela’s funeral. The President’s Office said President Zeman would not be travelling abroad since he had not yet fully recovered from his knee injury.