Slovakia PM shooting – live: Robert Fico ‘escaped death by a hair’ as president says situation ‘critical’
Slovak populist prime minister shot in stomach during meeting with supporters in Handlova
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The Slovakian prime minister “escaped death by just a hair,” after he was shot in the stomach in an assassination attempt on Wednesday.
Mr Fico, 59, was injured after five shots were fired outside the House of Culture in the town of Handlova where the leader was meeting with supporters.
In an update on Thursday, Slovakia’s president-elect Peter Pellegrini said the PM is still “critical” as he is living “the worst hours and days of his life”.
He added that if the bullets struck just a few millimetres either side, the Mr Fico would have been killed.
Suspect Juraj Cintula, 71, believed to be a former security guard and poet, was charged with attempted murder and faces up to 25 years in prison.
He is believed to have attended anti-government protests, and in social media posts referred to having disagreements with Mr Fico’s policies.
Mr Fico, a well-known ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin, is a divisive figure in Slovak politics, with the European Union Parliament elections due to take place in three weeks.
Who is Slovakia’s prime minister Robert Fico?
Slovakian prime minister Robert Fico shot in ‘politically motivated’ attempted assassination
Robert Fico, Slovakia's populist prime minister, who returned to power on a pro-Russian platform
Slovakia’s parliament suspended after prime minister Robert Fico injured in shooting
Local media reports shooter was a former security guard with a gun licence
Slovak news media reported the shooter was a former security guard at a shopping mall, an author of three collections of poetry and a member of the Slovak Society of Writers. Atkuality.sk cited his son as saying his father was the legal holder of a gun licence.
“I have absolutely no idea what my father intended, what he planned, what happened,” news outlet Aktuality.sk quoted the shooter’s son as saying.
Putin says there is ‘no justification for this monstrous crime'
Russian president Vladimir Putin has responded to the shooting in Slovakia.
“There can be no justification for this monstrous crime. I know Robert Fico as a courageous and strong-minded man. I very much hope that these qualities will help him to survive this difficult situation,” he said.
“ I kindly request to convey to Prime Minister Fico the sincerest words of support, as well as wishes for a swift and full recovery,” he said in a telegram to Slovak president Zuzana Caputova.
What are Fico’s policies?
During a three-decade career, Fico has moved between the pro-European mainstream and nationalistic positions opposed to EU and U.S. policies. He has also shown a willingness to change course depending on public opinion or changed political realities.
An admirer of Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Fico has grown increasingly critical of Western support for Ukraine in its war with invading Russian forces and has expressed opposition to allowing Kyiv to join NATO in the future.
Fico was forced to resign as premier amid mass protests in 2018 triggered by the contract killing of Jan Kuciak, a journalist who had been invesgitating high-level corruption.
Those protests exacerbated divisions in Slovak society that still linger.
Security and police seen outside hospital
Defence minister says ‘situation is bad’ in new statement
In a statement outside the hospital, Slovakia’s defence minister Robert Kalinak says the prime minister’s condition remains serious after he suffered “serious trauma” in the shooting.
He is still in surgery, which has been under way for hours, he confirms.
“The situation is bad,” he says.
Fico has been in surgery for three and a half hours
Defence Minister Robert Kalinak has told reporters that any detailed medical information will be available later on: “The situation is really complicated now.”
He added that the surgery has been going on for three and a half hours.
Attack believed to be politically motivated
Slovakia’s interior minister Matus Sutaj Estok said authorities suspected the attack was politically motivated.
A man, who is reported to be a 71-year-old former security guard, has been detained and is in police custody.
Mr Estok added that the attacker shot five shots towards Mr Fico in the assassination attempt.
‘Clear political motivation’ behind attack, says minister
Slovakia’s interior minister says an initial investigation shows there was “a clear political motivation” behind the assassination attempt on the country’s prime minister.
Matus Sutaj Estok spoke to reporters Wednesday evening at a hospital in Banska Bystrica, where Prime Minister Robert Fico was being treated.
“There’s no doubt about it,” defence minister Robert Kalinak added.
In pictures: Slovakia’s interior and defence minister giving an update
Slovakia has little history of political violence
Slovakia, a member of NATO and the European Union, has little history of political violence.
In 2022, two people were killed in a shootout outside an LGBT venue in central Bratislava.
In 2018, the killing of a journalist and his partner shocked the country and sparked mass protests, Ján Kuciak, a Slovakian investigative reporter, and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová, were shot in their home which led to a political crisis that led to Mr Fico’s resignation as prime minister.
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