Slovakia PM Shot: Immediate Aftermath and Reactions
Credit: Times of India
16.05.2024: Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is fighting for his life after being shot multiple times in what the government describes as a “political assault.” The 59-year-old leader was rushed to the operating table, where surgeons spent hours trying to save him.
Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok informed reporters at a hospital in Banska Bystrica, “The prime minister is in critical condition and his life is in danger. He is still in the operating theatre.”
Footage captured moments after the shooting showed security agents swiftly moving a wounded Fico into a black car, which then sped away. Nearby, police handcuffed a man lying on the pavement.
Immediate Response and Arrest
The suspect was detained at the scene in Handlova, President Zuzana Caputova announced. “I am shocked, we are all shocked by the terrible and heinous attack,” she said.
Deputy Prime Minister Robert Kalinak emphasized the political nature of the assault, stating, “What has happened is a political assault. It’s absolutely clear, and we have to react to that.” Kalinak added that the authorities are focusing on Fico’s health while investigating the incident.
Unprecedented Attack
Public RTVS television broadcasted medics transferring Fico on a stretcher from a helicopter to the hospital in Banska Bystrica, shielded by a cover and surrounded by security.
Fico, the leader of the Smer-SD party, won the general election last September. A seasoned politician, he has faced criticism for allegedly aligning Slovakia’s foreign policy with Kremlin interests. Reports suggest the suspect is a 71-year-old writer, but police have yet to confirm any identities.
The son of the alleged suspect expressed his bewilderment to Slovak news site aktuality.sk, stating, “I have absolutely no idea what my father was thinking, what he was planning, why it happened.”
Analyst Grigorij Meseznikov told AFP, “There has been no previous attack on any minister or prime minister in Slovakia.” He referenced a past incident in 1999 involving former minister of economy Jan Ducky, who was killed after leaving politics.
Global Condemnation
The attack has been condemned globally. Slovak president-elect and Fico ally Peter Pellegrini expressed his horror, calling the assassination attempt “an unprecedented threat to Slovak democracy” on X, formerly Twitter.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen denounced the “vile attack,” while NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg shared his shock and appallment. US President Joe Biden extended prayers for Fico’s swift recovery, expressing solidarity with his family and the people of Slovakia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin also condemned the shooting, with Putin describing it as a “heinous crime.”
“I know Robert Fico to be a courageous and strong-spirited man. I very much hope that these qualities will help him withstand this difficult situation,” Putin said.
Political Climate and Controversies
Fico’s tenure as prime minister has been marked by controversy. He first served from 2006 to 2010 and then from 2012 to 2018, resigning after the murder of an investigative journalist exposed high-level corruption. Despite this, he returned to office in October of the previous year.
Since his return, Fico has made statements straining Slovakia’s relations with Ukraine. He questioned Ukraine’s sovereignty and advocated for a compromise with Russia, which invaded Ukraine in 2022. Following his election, Slovakia ceased weapon deliveries to Ukraine, with Fico pledging during his campaign not to provide Kyiv with “a single bullet.”
Fico has also faced domestic backlash for his policies, including a controversial media law perceived to undermine public television and radio impartiality. In a press conference after the shooting, MP Lubos Blaha from Fico’s party blamed liberal media and progressive politicians for the attack, claiming their hatred was responsible for Fico’s life-threatening condition.