The prime minister of Slovakia is still in critical condition, as he was attacked and shot multiple times earlier this week, according to officials on Saturday.
According to Health Minister Zuzana Dolinkova, Prime Minister Robert Fico underwent a two-hour surgery on Friday to extract deceased tissue from multiple gunshot wounds. This procedure “facilitated a favorable prognosis.” Dolinkova was addressing the public outside the University F.D. Roosevelt Hospital in Banska Bystrica, where Fico was transported by helicopter following the attack.
In recent days, the Roosevelt Hospital’s personnel, nurses, and physicians have conducted numerous miracles in Banska Bystrica, according to Defense Minister Robert Kalinak.
Fico, 59, was the target of an attack in the former coal mining town of Handlova, which is situated approximately 85 miles northeast of the capital. The incident occurred as he greeted supporters following a government meeting on Wednesday. The suspect was tackled to the ground and arrested after at least four shots were discharged outside a cultural center.
The injured premier was hurriedly loaded into a vehicle by security personnel, who then fled at high speed, as documented on camera. He was transferred to a helicopter, and cameras subsequently captured him being transported to the hospital on a stretcher, draped in blankets.
According to Kalinak, Fico’s condition is still too severe to be transported to the capital, Bratislava.
The health update coincided with the initial judicial appearance of the individual accused of attempting to assassinate Fico, as reported by the Slovak state media.
Prosecutors from Slovakia’s Specialized Criminal Court were actively seeking the perpetrator to apprehend them.
Unconfirmed media reports suggested that the man was a 71-year-old retiree who was recognized as an amateur poet and may have previously worked as a mall security officer in the southwest region of the country, despite the fact that prosecutors instructed police to refrain from publicly identifying the man or disclosing any additional information regarding the case.
The small central European nation was taken aback by the attempted assassination, with many attributing the incident to the extreme political polarization that has severely divided the country.
According to an initial investigation, Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok stated on Wednesday that the assault on Fico, which took place while he was attending a government meeting in a former coal mining community, was motivated by “a clear political motive.” However, on Thursday, he asserted that the individual who was charged was a lone wolf who “did not belong to any political organizations.”
The courthouse in Pezinok, a small municipality situated outside of the capital, Bratislava, was protected by officers who were armed with rifles and donned balaclavas. Correspondents were restricted to a gated area, and the news media was prohibited from entering.
According to Markiza, a Slovak television station, the suspect was apprehended by the police at his residence in Levice on Friday, and a computer and numerous documents were seized. The authorities declined to offer any commentary.
The assault has been condemned by world leaders, who have also expressed their support for Slovakia and Fico.
For an extended period, Fico has been a contentious figure in Slovakia and beyond. Upon his return to power last year on a pro-Russia, anti-American platform, his fellow European Union and NATO members expressed concern that he would renounce his country’s pro-Western stance, particularly in relation to Ukraine.
Slovakia was one of Ukraine’s most steadfast supporters at the inception of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Fico suspended arms deliveries to Ukraine upon his return to power, thereby completing his fourth tenure as prime minister.
Additionally, Fico’s government has undertaken initiatives to overhaul public broadcasting, which critics contend would grant the government complete control over public television and radio. This, in conjunction with his intentions to modify the penal code to eliminate a special anti-graft prosecutor, has caused concern among his opponents that Fico will guide Slovakia toward a more autocratic course.
Thousands of demonstrators in the capital and across the 5.4 million-strong nation have protested his policies.
Last month, Fico expressed his apprehension on Facebook that the media was responsible for the escalation of tensions in the country, which could lead to the assassination of politicians.
Several of Fico’s political and business associates were the subject of police investigations prior to his return to power last year, and dozens have recently been prosecuted.
As part of his proposal to reform the penal system, the office of the special prosecutor, which is responsible for the investigation of organized crime, corruption, and extremism, would be abolished.
