Slovakian Prime Minister in Critical Condition after Assassination Attempt
Slovakian prime minister Robert Fico is in critical condition after he was shot multiple times in an attempted assassination on Wednesday, according to a statement on his official Facebook page.
“He has been shot multiple times and is currently in life threatening condition,” Fico’s account stated . “The next few hours will decide.”
The assassination attempt occurred after a meeting and subsequent press conference in the town of Handlova while Fico greeted supporters. Slovakian president Zuzana Caputova wrote in a post on X that she was “utterly shocked by today’s brutal attack,” which she condemned “in strongest possible terms.”
“I wish him lot[s] of strength in this critical moment and early recovery,” Caputova said. “My thoughts are also with his family and close ones.”
Caputova gave a televised address after the shooting in which she, a political rival of Fico, argued that the rise of domestic tensions in Slovakia — mirroring the politics of many other countries in the region — is to blame for the violence.
“A physical attack on the prime minister is, first of all, an attack on a person, but it is also an attack on democracy,” she said. “Any violence is unacceptable. The hateful rhetoric we’ve been witnessing in society leads to hateful actions. Please, let’s stop it.”
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