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Live Updates: Slovakia’s Prime Minister in ‘Life-Threatening’ Condition After Shooting [1]
['Cassandra Vinograd', 'Pavol Strba']
Date: 2024-05-15
Pinned
Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico, was shot and seriously wounded on Wednesday in what the government called an assassination attempt. A suspect was detained at the scene, according to Slovakia’s president.
A post on the prime minister’s official and verified Facebook page said that Mr. Fico was in “life-threatening condition” after sustaining “multiple” gunshot wounds.
“The next few hours will decide,” the post said.
The exact nature of Mr. Fico’s injuries was not immediately known. There was no immediate comment from the police about the attack, which unfolded in the central Slovak town of Handlova and drew shock and condemnation from Slovak and other European officials.
The president of Slovakia, Zuzana Caputova, whose position is largely ceremonial, condemned what she described as a “terrible and vile” assault.
“The shooting of the prime minister is first and foremost an attack on a human being — but it’s also an attack on democracy,” she said in a statement.
Ms. Caputova did not name the suspected attacker or provide any indication of a motive, saying only that police would provide further information “when possible” as she urged against making any “swift judgments.”
“The most important thing we should all focus on at this moment is Robert Fico’s fast recovery,” she added.
A veteran politician, Mr. Fico has aligned with the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orban, in opposing aid to Ukraine and challenging mainstream opinions within the European Union.
Image Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot outside the venue while greeting supporters, local media reported. Credit... Michal Cizek/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
On Wednesday, Mr. Orban was quick to send good wishes to Mr. Fico, whom he called “my friend.”
“We pray for his health and quick recovery,” Mr. Orban wrote on social media.
Mr. Fico returned to power after a general election in September, reviving a political career that many had considered over when he stepped down as prime minister in 2018, amid large street protests after the killing of an investigative journalist who had been looking into government graft.
In October, Mr. Fico said he was halting all military aid to Ukraine, but that nonmilitary aid would continue, in what would make Slovakia the first country that has sent weapons to Kyiv since the war started to say it would stop.
Here is what else to know:
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[1] Url:
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/05/15/world/slovakia-prime-minister-fico-shooting
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