Having previously been against private gun ownership, Zeman now says "citizens should arm themselves" to deal with the threat of terrorism.

"Earlier I spoke often about limiting the ability to have large quantities of weapons. But after the terrorist attacks, I have changed the idea," Zeman told Blesk.cz.

Zeman also called for a fence to be built along the country's border "if there were a large inflow of illegal migrants," while also urging failed asylum seekers to be deported more quickly.

"Condemning terror attacks is easy, the only solution is doing away with the causes," said Zeman.

The Czech Republic is not the only European country in which demand for firearms has seen a resurgence since the spate of terror attacks and migrant crime waves over the last year.