Slovakia’s Prime Minister, Robert Fico, sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was critically injured on Wednesday while interacting with supporters at an event.
The attempted assassination sent shockwaves through the country and beyond, just weeks before an upcoming election. Doctors were still battling to save his life hours after the 59-year-old pro-Russian leader was shot in the abdomen.
Defense Minister Robert Kalina informed the press at the hospital where Fico was receiving treatment that the operation was ongoing and his condition was described as “extremely serious.” The incident took place outside a cultural center in Handlova, approximately 140 kilometers northeast of the capital, where five shots were fired.
Fico was targeted during a government meeting in the town of 16,000, which was historically known for coal mining. A suspect was apprehended, and initial investigations suggested a clear political motive behind the assassination attempt, according to Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok.
Fico’s controversial reputation in Slovakia and abroad has sparked debates for years. However, his comeback to power with a pro-Russian, anti-American stance last year raised even more concerns among EU nations about his country drifting away from Western values.
The incident occurred amidst escalating political campaigns leading up to the European Parliament elections in three weeks. There is growing apprehension that populist and nationalist leaders like Fico may see success in the 27-nation bloc.
Nevertheless, traditional politics were set aside as the nation grappled with the shocking assassination attempt on Fico.
“A physical attack on the prime minister is, first of all, an attack on a person, but it is also an attack on democracy,” outgoing President Zuzana Caputova, a political rival of Fico, said in a televised statement. “Any violence is unacceptable. The hateful rhetoric we’ve been witnessing in society leads to hateful actions. Please, let’s stop it.”
President-elect Peter Pellegrini, an ally of Fico, called the shooting “an unprecedented threat to Slovak democracy. If we express other political opinions with pistols in squares, and not in polling stations, we are jeopardizing everything that we have built together over 31 years of Slovak sovereignty.”
Don’t miss out! Get your daily dose of Entertainment news and more straight to your phone. Join Ghana Street Journal Whatsapp channel now!
