PRESSBURG. The Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot in the street and seriously injured. After a cabinet meeting in the western Slovak town of Krickenau (Handlová) on Wednesday afternoon, a man from a crowd fired several shots at the politician. According to reports from Slovakia’s most watched television channel, TV Markíza, the suspected shooter is Juraj Cintula, a 71-year-old writer. In a 2016 video, he lamented the increasing “hatred and extremism” caused by the migration crisis. On social media, he called conservative politician Igor Matovič “a hyena” and supported liberal winner Zuzana Čaputová in the 2019 presidential election. reports the news portal Postoj.
Tirotean as Prime Minister of Eslovaquia, Robert Fico. It was in the cemetery and in the hospital. pic.twitter.com/Bxx2eG2dlp
— Wall Street Wolverine (@wallstwolverine) May 15, 2024
According to the tabloid Plus every theN The politician suffered gunshot wounds in the stomach and arm. Immediately after the incident, security officers put Fico in the car. A helicopter then took him to a hospital in the nearby town of Neusohl (Banská Bystrica). There are conflicting reports about the Prime Minister’s condition. According to the government-critical newspaper Dennis N The Slovak head of government is “out of danger”. However, on the politician’s official Facebook page, a spokesperson wrote about his “life-threatening condition”. “The next few hours will decide,” the post says.
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Chancellor Scholz condemned the attack on Fico
The attack caused a great stir. The leader of the largest opposition party “Progressive Slovakia”, Michal Šimečka, was shocked: “We clearly and strongly condemn any violence. We believe that Prime Minister Fico will do well and that this terrible act will be resolved as soon as possible.” President-elect Peter Pellegrini has canceled his visit abroad. “The assassination of the prime minister represents an unprecedented threat to Slovak democracy,” his Hlas party wrote on Facebook.
In the Bundestag, Robert Habeck makes a connection between the AfD and the assassination attempt on Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. Fico is a right-wing politician. The suspected murderer was left-wing writer Juraj Cintula. So who exactly should weigh his words, Mr. Habeck? pic.twitter.com/lXGnDDMsnN
— Dieter Stein (@Dieter_Stein) May 15, 2024
Government leaders and heads of state from abroad also condemned the events. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) described the attack as “cowardly” and expressed his solidarity with Fico. “Violence should have no place in European politics,” Scholz wrote on the short message service X.
The news about the cowardly assassination attempt on Slovak Prime Minister Fico shocks me enormously. Violence should have no place in European politics. During these hours, my thoughts are with Robert Fico, the family members and the citizens of Slovakia.
— Chancellor Olaf Scholz (@bondschancellor) May 15, 2024
The attack deepens divisions in Slovakia
Fico first took office as prime minister in 2006 and was sworn in again in 2023 after a five-year break. He is considered a defining figure in Slovak politics. His ruling party ‘Smer’ repeatedly spoke out against liberal migration and social policies. There were several corruption scandals during his time in office, and Fico also tried several times to strengthen control over the judiciary and state media. Tens of thousands of people have protested against these measures in recent months.
The attack worsened the tone of the country’s political debate. During an ongoing debate in parliament, Deputy Speaker Ľuboš Blaha from Smer blamed the opposition. “This is your job,” he told the representatives present. As a result of the attack on Fico, the session of Parliament was canceled until further notice. (kuk)