The Slovak Prime Minister, Robert Fico, is stabilized but still remains “very serious” due to the shots received on Wednesday in an assassination attempt, Deputy Prime Minister Robert Kalinak indicated this Thursday.
“The doctors managed to stabilize the patient at night”said Kalinak, who also holds the Defense portfolio.
“Unfortunately, his condition is still very serious because the injuries are complex”he added at a press conference in front of the Roosvelt hospital in Banska Bystrica, in the center of the country.
Robert Fico’s health
The 59-year-old leader underwent surgery on Wednesday “a five-hour operation”, said the director of the establishment, Miriam Lapunikova, confirming that it continues “truly very serious“and that he will remain in intensive care.
Robert Fico was shot several times Wednesday afternoon at the beginning of a cabinet meeting in Handlova, central Slovakia, according to his official Facebook page.
The attack caused great commotion in the Central European country, and a wave of international condemnation. According to Kalinak, this is a “political attack” to which we will have to “react accordingly.”
The police arrested the suspect, a 71-year-old man who Slovak media identified as a local writer. At the moment, no information about his motivation has been leaked.
Who is Robert Fico, the attacked prime minister
Robert Fico, 59 years old, was born on September 15, 1964. Raised in a working class family, he graduated from the Comenius University in Bratislava, in 1986, He quickly became involved in politics, joining the then-ruling Communist Party.
Behind the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Fico served as a government lawyer and later obtained a seat in Parliament where. Throughout his career, Fico He navigated between the pro-European current and more nationalist positionsdepending on the political climate and public opinion.
The politician managed to reach the position of Prime Minister in 2006. During that first term, one of his most important measures was the adoption of the Euro by Slovakia in 2009.
In 2018the politician’s career suffered a great setback: he had to give up after protests sparked by the journalist’s murder Jan Kuciak and his partner, Martina Kusnirova.
Kuciak was then investigated for connections between members of SMER and the Italian mafia. He was also involved in several corruption scandals that affected Fico’s government.
Despite having resigned, Fico managed to return to power after winning the elections last year. In the elections he obtained almost 30% of the voteshaving 12 points difference with Michal Šimeka, from the Progressive Slovakia partywho obtained almost 18%.
Source: Ambito
