Slovakia’s populist prime minister is in “very serious” condition after being shot multiple times in an assassination attempt that shocked the small central European nation and the wider continent, officials said Thursday.
A suspect described as a “lone wolf” was charged with attempted murder as leaders urged calm.
But while Robert Fico was in stable condition, the incident left Europe facing a rare outbreak of political violence in a deeply divided and polarized region.
Fico was shot multiple times in a town northeast of the capital Bratislava on Wednesday and was rushed to hospital, where he is “fighting for his life,” his party said.
After several hours of surgery, Fico’s condition appeared to be improving by Thursday morning. “His condition is stable, but really very serious. He will be admitted to the intensive care unit,” said FD Luz of Banská Bystrica, where Fico was shot and rushed to the hospital while greeting the public in accordance with government policy. said Miriam Lapnikova, director of Belt University Hospital. meeting.
The exact motive for Wednesday’s shooting remains unclear, but Slovakia’s Interior Minister Matusz Stasi Estok said an initial investigation had revealed a “clear political motive.” But on Thursday, he described the suspect as a loner who “does not belong to any political group.”
He said the suspect was charged with attempted murder.
Fico has long been a divisive but dominant figure in Slovakia. He has served as prime minister longer than any other leader in the country, and returned to power after the pro-Russian, anti-American left-wing populist party Smer won an election last September.
Fico’s government has drawn criticism from within the European Union, where he has been a vocal critic, for his stance on the Ukraine war. And domestically, opposition parties are leading mass protests over issues such as corruption and plans to control public media.
The main opposition party canceled planned protests and condemned the shooting, but called on “all politicians to refrain from expressions and actions that could lead to further escalation of tensions.”
Slovakia’s outgoing and incoming presidents (political rivals) attended a joint appeal Thursday morning for Slovaks to overcome their political differences.
Fico’s political rival, outgoing President Zuzana Čaputová, said leaders of the country’s political parties would meet and unite to restore calm and “reject violence.”
“Let’s break out of the vicious cycle of hatred and mutual condemnation,” Čaputova said at a press conference in Bratislava. “What happened yesterday was an individual act. But the tense atmosphere of hatred was our collective effort.”
President-elect Peter Pellegrini, a close ally of Fico, urged against “confrontations and mutual accusations between politicians.”
“If there is something that the Slovak people urgently need today, it is at least a basic agreement and unity among the political representatives of Slovakia. Please give me a way to do this,” Pelligrini said.
The attack was the most serious attempt on the life of a European leader in decades. Recently, Former Japanese leader Shinzo Abe was assassinated during an election event in July 2022.
Despite Fico’s controversial situation, leaders across Europe have condemned the attack, while officials and analysts wonder if deepening political divisions are leading the continent down a dangerous path. He expressed concern that this may not be the case.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: “We strongly condemn this despicable attack on Prime Minister Roberto Fico.” post “Such acts of violence have no place in our society and undermine our most precious common good: democracy,” she said.
European leaders expressed similar sentiments, with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy both condemning the violence.
Political experts and democracy advocates also weighed in, warning of concerns about the future of democratic debate.
“Politicians and journalists are important pillars of our democratic system. When they are targeted by violence and intimidation of any kind, we all lose. Democracy loses.” I have written Ricardo Borges de Castro is a senior advisor at the European Policy Center.
Freedom House, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization, strongly condemns the attempted assassination of Prime Minister Fico and calls for a swift and impartial investigation into today’s attack. The Smer party “posed a challenge to the resilience of democracy.”
Earlier this month, Freedom House declared Russia an “undesirable” organization, effectively banning its activities and cooperation, and said “such brazen political violence is completely unacceptable under any circumstances.” Ta.
Wednesday’s attack coincided with June’s European Parliament elections, which are just weeks away.
The European Council on Foreign Relations has predicted that many countries are experiencing a “significant shift to the right,” with “populist radical right parties gaining votes and seats across the EU, and centre-left and Green parties losing votes and seats.” I predicted it would happen.
