Authorities have charged a suspected gunman with the tried homicide of Slovakia Prime Minister Robert Fico.
The assault, which happened on Wednesday, got here simply weeks after the election victory of Peter Pellegrini, a Fico ally.
LEADERSHIP earlied reported that Prime Minister Fico’s situation had stabilised however stays “very severe,” in response to Deputy Prime Minister Robert Kalinak. Surgeons labored for hours to save lots of the 59-year-old chief, who was shot whereas chatting with the general public after a gathering. Footage exhibits safety brokers dashing a wounded Fico right into a automotive, whereas police apprehended a suspect close by.
Inside Minister Matus Sutaj Estok described the shooter as a “lone wolf” whose actions had been pushed by dissatisfaction with the current presidential election final result. Estok famous that the gunman’s motivations had been accelerated by the election outcomes.
In response to the violence, President-elect Pellegrini urged political events to halt their campaigns for the upcoming EU parliament election in June. “Slovakia ought to keep away from additional confrontation,” Pellegrini said in a joint message with outgoing President Zuzana Caputova. Caputova emphasised the necessity to finish “the vicious circle of hatred” within the nation.
The opposition, led by Progressive Slovakia, introduced they’d already suspended their marketing campaign actions. Slovakia’s political panorama has lengthy been divided between pro-European and nationalist-leaning factions, with current elections marked by disinformation and social media assaults.
The alleged shooter, a 71-year-old author, was apprehended on the scene. His son expressed shock, saying he had “completely no thought what father was considering.” Political analyst Miroslav Radek warned that the assault might result in “additional radicalisation of people and politicians in Slovakia.”
Public response to the taking pictures has been a mixture of shock and outrage. Residents of Banska Bystrica, the place the assault happened, voiced their issues. “I’m actually afraid that such assaults shall be repeated,” mentioned 18-year-old scholar Nina Stevulova. One other resident, Karol Reichl, criticized using violence, suggesting non-violent methods to specific dissent.
Fico, a political veteran who has served as prime minister a number of instances, has been a polarizing determine in Slovak politics. His current tenure has seen strained relations with Ukraine and controversial modifications to media legal guidelines. He was pressured to resign in 2018 after the homicide of an investigative journalist uncovered high-level corruption however made a political comeback in 2022.
The assault has solid a shadow over the upcoming European parliament elections, the place far-right events are anticipated to realize floor. Engineer Jaroslav Pirozak from Levice, the gunman’s hometown, expressed a nuanced view: “I’m unhappy for Fico, however on the similar time, he’s the one spreading hate and dividing the society.”
Following the assault, MP Lubos Blaha from Fico’s social gathering blamed the incident on “liberal media and progressive politicians,” claiming their “hatred” put Fico’s life in danger.