Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico is in a stable but serious condition following an assassination attempt, as officials convene to address what they describe as Slovakia’s darkest day in recent history. An assailant shot Fico, 59, at least five times on Wednesday in Handlová, roughly 150 km northeast of Bratislava, while he was meeting supporters after a government meeting.
Authorities have apprehended a suspect, and Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok has indicated that the attack had a clear political motivation. A man has been charged with the attempted murder of the prime minister. Local media identified the suspect as Juraj C., 71, from Levice, a former security guard and published poet who had expressed political aspirations on YouTube. His son confirmed that Juraj C. legally owned a firearm.
Medical personnel rushed Robert Fico to a hospital in Banská Bystrica, where surgeons operated on him for five hours to treat multiple gunshot wounds. After the surgery, they placed him in an artificial coma. Defense Minister Robert Kaliňák labeled the incident a political assault, and President-elect Peter Pellegrini has urged political parties to suspend or tone down their campaigning for the upcoming European Parliament elections to avoid further confrontation.
The shooting has significantly prompted various responses just weeks before the elections, with populist and hard-right parties expected to gain traction across the European Union.
