Violence: Deputy Prime Minister: Fico’s condition stabilized but still serious

The condition of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has “stabilized but remains serious” after the assassination attempt. Fico’s first deputy in the government, Defense Minister Robert Kalinak, told the TASR news agency.

A hospital spokeswoman said Fico underwent five hours of surgery. Slovak media reported early in the morning that Fico had regained consciousness after the operation.

Hesitant information, lots of speculation

Because of an information blackout by the hospital, there was only hesitant information and much speculation about the head of government’s health. An assassin shot the 59-year-old on Wednesday. Kalinak is considered Fico’s close confidant and is also his deputy in the left-wing Smer party.

That night, Environment Minister Tomas Taraba told the BBC that, as far as he knew, the operation had gone well and that Fico was “not in a life-threatening condition at the moment.” Taraba is one of Fico’s four representatives.

What happened?

The 59-year-old was shot by an assassin on Wednesday and had to undergo emergency surgery lasting several hours in the regional capital Banska Bystrica. The police arrested the attacker. The attack left the EU and NATO country in a state of shock and caused international consternation. The Slovak government wants to meet for its special session from 11 a.m. At the same time, the National Security Council should also discuss the situation.

Who is the assassin?

According to Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok, the perpetrator is a 71-year-old from the small town of Levice. An initial interrogation revealed that he had a “clearly political motive,” namely rejection of government policy. According to media reports, Juraj C. is said to have worked for a private security service in the past and therefore had a firearms license. He legally owned the murder weapon. According to media reports, he also tried his hand at writing in his home region.

Interior Minister Sutaj Estok and Defense Minister Robert Kalinak, who is also deputy head of government, announced directly in the clinic on Wednesday evening that Fico’s condition was life-threatening and “extremely serious.”

In Slovakia, the otherwise heated political debate came to a standstill. A turbulent parliamentary session was canceled on Wednesday afternoon and adjourned indefinitely. The liberal opposition parties canceled all political rallies for the time being. They had originally called for a mass demonstration on Wednesday evening against the government led by the left-wing populist Fico and its plan to dissolve the public radio and television RTVS.

Fico was shot by an assassin at around 2:30 p.m. when he went outside after a cabinet meeting in the cultural center in the small town of Handlova to greet waiting supporters. The local television RTV Prievidza published a video of the crime: You can see a man pushing himself against the fence and shooting at the Prime Minister from close range. According to eyewitness reports, the perpetrator called the politician loudly and then fired five shots at him from close range. The head of government suffered a so-called “polytrauma”, i.e. several serious injuries, the Interior Minister told the media.

The TV news channel TA3 and other media were leaked a video recording from the police station. In it, the dazed-looking suspected attacker says: “I don’t agree with government policy.” As an example, he mentioned in an indistinct voice the government’s planned media reform, against which thousands of people have been demonstrating for weeks. According to media reports, the wife of the alleged perpetrator was also questioned by the police.

Fico recently accused the liberal opposition of fomenting a climate of hostility against his government. Given the heated atmosphere, it cannot be ruled out that an act of violence could occur at some point.

Popular – and controversial

Fico is the founder and head of the left-wing party Smer-SSD, which has recently become increasingly nationalistic, and has been one of the most popular politicians in Slovakia for almost 30 years. But at the same time he polarizes like no other. Opponents call him “pro-Russian” and accuse him of wanting to lead Slovakia on a similar course to Hungary under the aegis of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who governs with authoritarian means.

In fact, unlike Hungary, Slovakia has supported all EU sanctions against Russia since Fico’s return to government in October and has also agreed to all EU aid to Ukraine – including the use of frozen Russian funds for Ukraine and support for Ukraine’s accession to the EU, but not to NATO. Contrary to misleading media reports, Fico does not fundamentally reject the sanctions against Russia. However, he criticizes the fact that some of them are doing more harm to Slovakia, which is dependent on Russian gas, oil and uranium, than to Russia itself. Instead, he is calling for sanctions that would hit Russia more severely.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz called the assassination attempt on Fico “unbearable.” “I wish him that he recovers well from this cowardly attack,” said Scholz. US President Joe Biden spoke of a “terrible act of violence”. “Our thoughts are with his family and the Slovak people,” he said.