Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, a NATO ally of the United States, was seriously wounded in a shooting that has sent shockwaves through the small central European nation. The populist leader was attending a government meeting in a former coal mining town when he was shot multiple times in an attempted assassination.
Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok initially stated that the attack had “a clear political motivation,” but later clarified that the suspect charged was a “lone wolf” who did not belong to any political groups. The suspect’s identity and specific motives have not been released by the police.
Fico, an ultra-nationalist figure in Slovakia that was divisive internationally, remains in serious but stable condition after undergoing a five-hour operation at the F.D. Roosevelt Hospital in Banska Bystrica. He is expected to survive.
Slovakia has been grappling with heightened tensions as thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets to protest Fico’s policies since his return to power last year. His pro-Russian and anti-American stance has raised concerns among fellow European Union members that Slovakia may abandon its pro-Western course.
The attempted assassination of Fico comes at a particularly sensitive time, just weeks before the European Parliament elections. In response to the attack, Slovakia’s outgoing and incoming presidents, political rivals Zuzana Caputova and Peter Pellegrini, made a joint appeal for Slovaks to overcome their tense political differences for the good of the country.
Caputova, a political opponent of Fico, said that while the attack was an individual act, the tense atmosphere was a collective responsibility. She called for a meeting of the country’s various party leaders to bring calm and unity to the nation.
President-Elect Pellegrini urged political parties to suspend or scale back their campaigns for the upcoming European elections to prevent further violence. He stressed the urgent need for basic agreement and unity among the Slovak political representation, or at the very least, civilized ways of discussing issues.
Fico’s government, elected last September, has been mired in controversy since taking office. The administration has halted arms deliveries to Ukraine and has plans to amend the penal code to eliminate a special anti-graft prosecutor and take control of public media. Critics worry that Fico will lead Slovakia, a NATO member with a population of 5.4 million, down a more autocratic path.
Despite the controversy surrounding Fico’s leadership, condemnation of the attack has come from both his allies and adversaries. Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a message to President Caputova, expressing his support and wishing the prime minister a fast and full recovery. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also denounced the violence.
As Slovakia grapples with the aftermath of this shocking incident, the nation’s Security Council is set to meet in Bratislava to discuss the situation, followed by a cabinet meeting.