Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot multiple times in an attack in the town of Handlova on Tuesday. He is currently in a life-threatening condition and is hospitalised at the Banská Bystrica Hospital.
According to local TV channel Markiza, the assailant was identified as 71-year-old poet Juraj Cintula. He is a former employee of a private security company and the author of a poetry collection. According to unconfirmed reports, the assassination attempt was "politically motivated."
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The moment when a man shot Slovakia PM Robert Fico. pic.twitter.com/pvSeSXAaEC
May 15, 2024WATCH: The moment just after Slovakia PM Robert Fico was shot
Fico was reportedly shot in the stomach after four shots were fired outside the House of Culture in the town of Handlova. Deputy Prime Minister Tomas Taraba said one bullet went through the stomach and the second one hit the joint. He has suffered wounds to his stomach, arms, and legs. Taraba told BBC the operation went well and "at the end he will survive."
PM Narendra Modi Condemns The Incident
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the "dastardly act" and wished PM Fico a speedy recovery. He said India stands in solidarity with the people of the Slovak Republic.
Deeply shocked at the news of the shooting at Slovakia's Prime Minister, H.E. Mr. Robert Fico. I strongly condemn this cowardly and dastardly act and wish PM Fico a speedy recovery. India stands in solidarity with the people of the Slovak Republic.
May 16, 2024Who is Robert Fico?
Robert Fico was born on September 15, 1964, in Topolčany, Slovakia. His father, Ľudovit Fico, was a forklift operator, and his mother, Emilie Ficová, worked in a shoe store. He has a brother, Ladislav, who is a construction entrepreneur, and a sister, Lucia Chabadová, is a prosecutor.
He graduated from Comenius University in Bratislava, where he studied law. Fico is married and has a child.
Robert Fico's Political Career
Fico joined the Communist party and was first elected to Slovakia's parliament in 1992 with the Party of the Democratic Left.
Fico is best known for his tenure as the Prime Minister of Slovakia. He has served three non-consecutive terms as Prime Minister.
In 1999, Fico established the political party Smer (Direction), later renamed Smer-Social Democracy. Fico's first term as Prime Minister, from 2006 to 2010, was marked by a series of reforms in healthcare, education, and the pension system. Despite facing criticism for his handling of the economic crisis and allegations of corruption, Fico's party won a landslide victory in the 2012 elections, and he began his second term as Prime Minister.
Fico's third term as Prime Minister, which began in 2016, was cut short in 2018, following large-scale protests triggered by the murder of investigative journalist, Jan Kuciak.
In October 2023, Fico took power for the fourth time and has turned the country's foreign policy towards more pro-Russian views. He has been accused of swaying Slovakia's foreign policy in favour of the Kremlin.
Thousands of people in Slovakia have consistently protested against Fico's pro-Russian stance and other initiatives, such as the proposed changes to the penal code.
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