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Bratislava – Prime Minister Robert Fico is in critical condition after an assassination attempt that occurred on Wednesday afternoon. The attacker shot the prime minister shortly after a government meeting in Handlova. TASR provides a summary of events.
The Prime Minister suffered severe polytrauma after several gunshot wounds and his health is critical. Around 20:00 he was still being operated on. A helicopter brought him to the hospital in Banska Bystrica.
The perpetrator was a 71-year-old man from Levice. He was detained immediately after the attack, firing five shots. According to the Minister of the Interior Matúš Šutaj Eštok, it was a politically motivated act. The investigation is still ongoing. Attorney General Maroš Žilinka announced that the criminal prosecution bodies will respond uncompromisingly to the shooting of the prime minister.
The attack on the prime minister was condemned by top state officials, politicians across the political spectrum, representatives of local governments, churches, judiciary, and the nonprofit sector. President Zuzana Čaputová described the attack on the prime minister as an attack on democracy. The newly elected President Peter Pellegrini also considers it an unprecedented threat to democracy.
The attack was condemned not only by representatives of neighboring states but also European and world leaders including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, US President Joe Biden, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Von der Leyen sharply condemned the “despicable attack” on the Slovak Prime Minister. She published her reaction to the assassination in Handlova on the social network X, TASR’s Brussels correspondent reports. “Such violent acts have no place in our society and undermine democracy, our most cherished common good,” emphasized the head of the EU executive.
European Council President Charles Michel also stated on social network X that he is shocked by the news of the attack on Slovak Prime Minister Fico after the government meeting in Handlova. “Nothing and nobody can ever justify violence or similar attacks. My thoughts are with the prime minister and his family,” Michel conveyed.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola on behalf of the European Parliament declared that she strongly condemns the violent act aimed at the Prime Minister of Slovakia. “In this difficult moment, my thoughts are with him and his family,” she stated on social network X.
Executive Vice-President of the European Commission (EC) Maroš Šefčovič stated that the news of the attack on Prime Minister Robert Fico hit him as a politician, a citizen of Slovakia, and also on a personal level as his friend. “It’s hard to find words expressing shock and concern. I believe that today as a society in Slovakia we will stand firmly against hatred and direct attacks on democracy and against the polarization that affects life in Slovakia. We Slovaks are good people; this is not us,” conveyed Šefčovič.
The current session of parliament was suspended indefinitely after the attack on the prime minister. In the coming days, protection will be ensured for all constitutional officials. Police protection will also be enhanced for several media outlets and several opposition representatives, announced the Minister of the Interior. (May 15)
