Slovak media reported that the alleged assailant, a 71-year-old writer, has been charged with attempted murder.

Thu 16 May 2024:

Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico remains in stable but “very serious” condition following an assassination attempt that has shocked the nation and drawn international condemnation, his deputy has reported.

The 59-year-old Fico was shot five times in the central town of Handlova on Wednesday. After being critically injured, he underwent several hours of emergency surgery.

“During the night, doctors managed to stabilise the patient’s condition,” Deputy Prime Minister Robert Kalinak said on Thursday.

“Unfortunately, the condition is still very serious as the injuries are complicated,” said Kalinak, who is also the defence minister.

The shooting was “politically motivated”, Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok said on Wednesday.

“This assassination [attempt] was politically motivated, and the perpetrator’s decision was born closely after the presidential election,” Sutaj Estok said, referring to an April election won by Fico’s ally, Peter Pellegrini.

Pellegrini described the attack as an “unprecedented threat to Slovak democracy”.

“If we express other political opinions in squares, and not in polling stations, we are jeopardising everything that we have built together over 31 years of Slovak sovereignty,” Pellegrini said.

In response to the attack, a state security council meeting is scheduled for Thursday.

Slovak media reported that the alleged assailant, a 71-year-old writer, has been charged with attempted murder.

Slovakia, a nation of 5.4 million, has experienced intense political debate in recent years, highlighted by last year’s presidential election that strengthened Fico’s hold on power.

Since his return as prime minister last October, Fico’s government has scaled back support for Ukraine, engaged in dialogue with Russia, sought to reduce penalties for corruption, and is restructuring the RTVS public broadcaster, despite calls to safeguard media freedoms.

Environment Minister Tomas Taraba informed the BBC on Thursday that the surgery had “gone well.” He explained that one bullet had passed through Fico’s stomach, and another struck a joint following Fico’s departure from a government meeting.

President Zuzana Caputova called for a reduction in political tensions and announced plans to invite all parliamentary party leaders for a joint discussion.

After the shooting, Fico was initially taken to a hospital in Handlova but was later airlifted to the regional capital, Banska Bystrica, for urgent medical care.

European leaders, including Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, have condemned the attack and expressed wishes for Fico’s full recovery.