Deputy PM says Fico ‘no longer in life-threatening condition’
Robert Fico “is expected to survive” after surgery, his deputy prime minister Tomáš Taraba said.
Taraba told the BBC Fico was no longer in a life-threatening situation.
He said: “Fortunately as far as I know the operation went well – and I guess in the end he will survive. He is not in a life-threatening situation at this moment.
“He was heavily injured – one bullet went thought the stomach and the second one hit the joint – immediately he was transported to the hospital and then to the operation.”
There has been no official announcement yet about the prime minister’s condition.
We’re closing this blog now but will be back to bring you any breaking news. In the meantime, here’s a rundown of the latest developments:
Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico, was shot five times on Wednesday outside the House of Culture in the town of Handlová while meeting supporters, initially leaving him in critical condition.
There has been no official announcement about his condition but the prime minister “is expected to survive” after surgery, his deputy prime minister said. Tomáš Taraba told the BBC Fico was no longer in a life-threatening situation: “Fortunately as far as I know the operation went well – and I guess in the end he will survive. He is not in a life-threatening situation at this moment.
Taraba said Fico was “heavily injured”. He added: “One bullet went thought the stomach and the second one hit the joint – immediately he was transported to the hospital and then to the operation.” News outlet Aktuality.sk cited an unnamed source saying Fico was out of surgery and in stable condition.
Slovakia’s interior minister, Matúš Šutaj-Eštok, said initial information “clearly points to a political motivation” after Slovakia’s presidential election, referring to the April election won by a Fico ally, Peter Pellegrini.
The suspect is a 71-year-old man, according to local media reports. Slovak news media reported the shooter was a former security guard at a shopping mall as well as the author of three books of poetry and the founder of a literary society.
A video posted online appeared to show the alleged shooter in detention saying that he did not agree with the government’s policies, particularly what he described as the “liquidation” of the media.
News outlet Aktuality.sk cited his son as saying his father was the legal holder of a gun licence.
The outgoing president, Zuzana Čaputová, a political rival of Fico, described the violence as “unacceptable” in a televised statement. “The hateful rhetoric we’ve been witnessing in society leads to hateful actions,” she added. “Please, let’s stop it.”
Global leaders including Joe Biden, Ursula von der Leyen and Vladimir Putin condemned the attack on Fico. The US president said he was “alarmed” by the attack. Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, a close ally, said he was “deeply shocked by the heinous attack against my friend”. Putin said in a telegram sent to Čaputová: “I know Robert Fico as a courageous and strong-minded man. I very much hope that these qualities will help him to survive this difficult situation.”
Slovakia’s interior minister Matúš Šutaj-Eštok has said the suspected shooter “clearly” had a political motivation linked to the April election, in which Fico ally Peter Pellegrini triumphed over the liberal, pro-western opposition candidate Ivan Korčok.
Pellegrini’s victory cemented Fico’s grip on power by giving him and his allies control of major strategic posts. Here’s a bit more from our coverage at the time:
Pellegrini, 48, who favours a strong role for the state, heads the leftwing Hlas (Voice) party, which finished third in the vote and joined a governing coalition with Fico and the ultranationalist Slovak National party.
Critics worry Slovakia under Fico will abandon its pro-western course and follow Hungary’s direction under its populist prime minister, Viktor Orbán.
The new government immediately halted any arms deliveries to Ukraine. Thousands have taken to the streets across Slovakia recently to rally against Fico’s pro-Russian and other policies, including plans to amend the penal code and take control of the public media.
Korčok was critical of the government’s moves, which protesters fear could undermine the rule of law, while Pellegrini backed the new government and did not question its policies.
Prior to the vote, Pellegrini told the AFP news agency that the European Union and Nato were “divided between those who are in favour of the continuation of the war [between Russia and Ukraine] at all costs, and those who demand the start of peace negotiations”.
Robert Fico is a burly and brash political veteran known for his attacks on the media, NGOs and prosecutors.
Having enjoyed three previous stints as prime minister, Fico, 59, is well known to voters and observers – and critics, who accuse him of seeking to emulate Viktor Orbán, his friend in neighbouring Hungary, by trying to undermine checks and balances and cement his power while also taking a friendlier stance toward Russia.
Fico’s return to power last year has prompted concern inside and outside his country, which critics say is becoming increasingly febrile and polarised under his watch. Journalists in Slovakia have expressed alarm over a recent government decision that would replace the country’s public broadcaster and, they say, open it up to political influence.
Meanwhile, Fico’s move to close down a special prosecutor’s office focused on high-level corruption has raised the possibility that the EU could freeze some funding allocated to Slovakia.
Fico is typical of the new wave of nationalist-populist politicians who have emerged over the last decade, riding the wave of resentment generated among tens of millions of Europeans by the disappointments of the 21st century.
Robert Kalinak, minister of defence of Slovakia, talks during a press conference at the F. D. Roosevelt University Hospital in Banska Bystrica, where prime minister Robert Fico underwent surgery. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
Deputy PM says Fico ‘no longer in life-threatening condition’
Robert Fico “is expected to survive” after surgery, his deputy prime minister Tomáš Taraba said.
Taraba told the BBC Fico was no longer in a life-threatening situation.
He said: “Fortunately as far as I know the operation went well – and I guess in the end he will survive. He is not in a life-threatening situation at this moment.
“He was heavily injured – one bullet went thought the stomach and the second one hit the joint – immediately he was transported to the hospital and then to the operation.”
There has been no official announcement yet about the prime minister’s condition.
Former police president Štefan Hamran said the security guards are supposed to protect the prime minister with their bodies when he goes into a crowd of people, Dennik N reported.
He said: “When they don’t go before him, the prime minister then presents an open target.”
Robert Kaliňák, Slovakia’s defence minister, said Fico is still undergoing surgery and is in “extraordinarily serious” condition.
Slovakia’s interior minister, Matúš Šutaj-Eštok, said the perpetrator of the attack fired at Fico five times. He said initial information “clearly points to a political motivation” after Slovakia’s presidential election. According to Denník N, Fico was shot in the abdomen and left arm.
Šutaj-Eštok described the incident as “the saddest moment in the 31 years of history of Slovakia … An attack on the prime minister is an attack on democracy. It is an attack on the state itself.”
Fico had been conscious while being transported to the hospital and he is being treated for bullet wounds, according to a hospital spokesperson.
The suspect is a 71-year-old man, according to local media reports. Slovak news media reported the shooter was a former security guard at a shopping mall.
Global leaders including Joe Biden, Ursula von der Leyen and Vladimir Putin condemned the attack on Fico. The US president said he was “alarmed” by the attack. Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, a close ally, said he was “deeply shocked by the heinous attack against my friend”. Von der Leyen said: “I strongly condemn the vile attack on Prime Minister Robert Fico.
EU leaders have condemned the “cowardly” assassination attempt on the Slovakian present, Robert Fico, warning that violence has “no place” in European politics.
Olaf Scholz, the chancellor of Germany, a country which has itself experienced a wave of violent attacks on politicians in the past month, said: “I am deeply shocked by the news of the cowardly attack on Slovakian Prime Minister Fico. Violence must not exist in European politics.”
Speaking just three weeks before elections to the European parliament, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, echoed his message, condemning what she said was a “vile attack” on “both the prime minister and democracy”.
European politicians have warned of the groundwork for more likely violence being laid by rising polarisation in political discourse on both the left and the right.
In a statement, the liberal political group Renew said it was “increasingly alarmed by the rising polarisation within our political sphere fuelled by extremist ideologies, both left- and right-wing.”
This “climate of heightened division is laying the groundwork for an environment where acts of violence are more likely to occur, and also wrongly justified by those who seek to disrupt and dominate rather than engage and debate”, it added.
Videofootage shows Robert Fico approaching a group of supporters outside the House of Culture in the town of Handlová, about 90 miles (150km) north-east of the capital, Bratislava.
A man in the crowd is then seen grabbing a gun and firing five shots, hitting Fico who falls to the ground as security personnel tackle the shooter.
Footage reveals moments before Slovakian PM is shot – video
