Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico walks through the European Council summit on the EU headquarters in Brussels, on April 18, 2024.
Kenzo Tribouillard | Afp | Getty Photos
Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico is anticipated to outlive a multiple-shot assassination try following surgical procedure, in keeping with the nation’s deputy prime minister.
“Luckily, so far as I do know, the operation went effectively, and I assume that on the finish he’ll survive,” Tomas Taraba advised BBC Newshour. “At this second, the state of the operation must be that he is not in a life-threatening scenario.”
The Slovakian premier’s situation has stabilized however stays critical, Reuters cited a hospital official as saying on Thursday.
No different official replace on Fico’s situation has been circulated. CNBC has reached out to the Slovakian Ministry of Inside and the Ministry of Overseas Affairs.
Fico, 59, was gravely wounded on Wednesday after being shot a number of instances following a political occasion within the Slovak city of Handlova. He was transported by helicopter to a close-by hospital in Banska Bystrica for emergency therapy, in keeping with his official Fb web page.
“This was a politically motivated try, and it befell shortly after the presidential election,” Slovakian Minister of the Inside Matúš Šutaj Eštok mentioned at a press briefing, in keeping with translated video footage carried by Sky Information.
A suspect has been detained, Slovakian President Zuzana Caputova mentioned Wednesday in a social media update.
“The capturing of the prime minister is at the start an assault in opposition to an assault on a human being – however it’s additionally an assault on democracy,” she mentioned in an formally translated video. “The police have arrested the perpetrator and can present additional data when doable.”
Fico has served as prime minister of Slovakia for round 10 years throughout three mandates, heading the Smer (Path) occasion. He most not too long ago assumed the submit following parliamentary elections in 2023 and in October pledged to cease army assist for Ukraine and to not endorse additional sanctions in opposition to Russia, Reuters reported.
His administration has additionally proposed a contensious overhaul and state takeover of public broadcaster RTVS, and a extremely controversial modification to the nation’s penal code that will, amongst different measures, eradicate the particular prosecutors’ workplace that oversees critical crimes.