More than a week after he was shot in an assassination attempt, Slovakia’s prime minister remained in hospital in serious condition on Thursday, with calls for political unity after the attack giving way to renewed hostility in the polarized central European country.
Prime Minister Robert Fizzo was shot multiple times at close range on May 15 in Handlova, a town in central Slovakia. The assassination attempt was the most serious attack on a European leader in decades and shocked Europe.
Fico has undergone several operations since the shooting and the government said on Thursday his condition “remains serious but stable” at a hospital in Banska Bystrica in the city centre.
Even before Fico was shot and killed, Slovakia was deeply divided between supporters of his right-wing nationalist and anti-immigration policies and opponents who accuse him of eroding democracy. The shooting prompted Slovak officials to appeal to political parties to urgently de-escalate tensions, with some warning of the risk of civil war.
But as the country returns to politics as usual, attempts to lower temperatures appear to have failed.
Much of the hostility centers around a bill the government is pushing through parliament that would give it control over public broadcasters.
Mr. Fico’s government has been accused by critics of stoking tensions and antagonizing the media, and is seeking to overhaul broadcasters to eliminate what his party sees as unfair bias in favor of political opponents. I was asking for a complete review.
The bill is part of a package of measures that includes restrictions on corruption investigations and measures that critics decry as Russian-style restrictions on non-governmental organizations. He said there was a risk of causing “irreparable damage.” .
The bill was under consideration in the Slovak parliament on the day Fico was shot, after which parliament was suspended but resumed this week.
Its first task on Tuesday was to approve a resolution condemning the attack on Mr Fico and calling on political parties and the media to “not spread hatred”.
On Wednesday, Parliament considered a bill regarding broadcasting stations. The bill passed its first reading with 77 votes in favor and 53 against. The bill must pass at least one more reading and be signed by the president before it becomes law.
Opposition Progressive Slovakia leader Michal Simecka welcomed the government’s call for the European Parliament to suspend elections next month to “calm the situation down”, but he attacked Mr Fico’s government, calling the bill a “bad law” that is “against the interests of the people and against European rules”.
He called on the government to withdraw the bill and “end dangerous efforts” to control television and radio in Slovakia.
The country’s outgoing president, Zuzana Caputova, and her successor in June, Peter Pellegrini, have publicly vowed to invite leaders of Slovakia’s main political parties to a meeting to “calm the situation down”.
In a long video posted on social media on Sunday without naming anyone, Pellegrini said that recent days have shown that “some politicians are completely incapable of basic remorse, even after such a catastrophe.” “It was done,” he said. “It’s as if they don’t understand that their past actions, statements, and disgusting attacks on their supporters rather than their political ideas contribute significantly to tensions in our society. .”
The meeting was ultimately called off this week “due to published statements by some leaders,” according to local news media.
Interior Minister Matusz Staj Estok insisted the government was committed to building political peace, but suggested on Thursday that old grudges would not be forgotten.
“I do not want to increase tensions in society, but we will never forget what led us to this situation,” he said in a Facebook post in an apparent attack on government critics.
Mr. Fico began his 30-year political career on the left but has long embraced right-wing political views with his party, Smer. Mr. Fico’s opponents have criticized some of his plans as an attempt to return Slovakia to the repressive Soviet era.
Fico previously served as prime minister from 2006 to 2010 and from 2012 to 2018, but was ousted amid street protests over the killing of a journalist investigating government corruption. He unexpectedly returned to the premiership last year, making a remarkable resurgence after campaigning on a pro-Russian platform and promising social conservatism, nationalism and generous welfare benefits.
Slovak authorities have released little information about the assassination attempt beyond saying it was carried out by a man with political discontent who was radicalised after the recent presidential election.
The 71-year-old suspect, who authorities identified only as Yurai C., is charged with attempted premeditated murder. The suspect appeared before a judge in a closed-door hearing in the western Slovakian city of Pezinok on Saturday and was taken into custody. On Thursday, Slovakia’s prosecutor general declined to say when the suspect would next appear in court.
Cassandra Vinograd Reported from London, sarah cinklova Originally from Bratislava, Slovakia
