Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico was in “life-threatening” condition after being shot on Thursday, according to a government statement.
The statement, posted to Fico’s Facebook page, said he was being transported to a hospital by helicopter and that the “next few hours” would be decisive.
The incident took place in the town of Handlova, northeast of the capital of Bratislava. A reporter for the newspaper Dennik N reportedly heard shots fired then witnessed rescuers carrying Fico to a car.
“I strongly condemn today’s brutal and ruthless attack on Prime Minister Robert Fico. I am in shock,” said President Zuzana Caputova on Facebook.
“I strongly condemn the vile attack on Prime Minister Robert Fico,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X. “Such acts of violence have no place in our society and undermine democracy, our most precious common good.”
Fico has served multiple stints as Slovakia’s prime minister, most recently returning to power after winning an election in the fall.
He was forced out in 2018 amid public outrage over the killing of a journalist who had been investigating ties between his associates and the Italian mafia.
But he staged a comeback by capitalizing on growing skepticism about the war in Ukraine and frustration with a cost-of-living crisis. Washington Post
