His office says he is currently “between life and death.” After two first terms between 2006 and 2018, Robert Fico was elected again last October.
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Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is “between life and death” after being hit by several bullets when leaving ane meeting of the country’s cabinet of ministers in Handlova on May 15. “The police have arrested the attacker and will provide more information as quickly as possible”declared Slovak President Zuzana Caputova in a speech.
The conservative movement led by Robert Fico came first in the legislative elections with 23% of the votes on the basis of an “illiberal” approach to power. Leader of the Slovak populist nationalist bloc, his return to the presidency of the Slovak government was notably marked by a radical shift in his country’s positioning vis-à-vis the Ukrainian conflict. Robert Fico has in fact decided to suddenly stop supporting kyiv even though Bratislava was, until he took office last October, considered unconditional support for Ukraine in the war between it and Russia.
This proximity to Russian power has earned him comparison with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Robert Fico has never hesitated to distance himself from the European Union, particularly on the Ukrainian issue from his victory speech, broadcast on France 24 last October. He no longer recognizes the sovereignty of kyiv and asserts his party’s position: “We are not changing our minds, we are ready to provide humanitarian aid and help in rebuilding the country, but you know our opinion on arming Ukraine. Slovakia and Slovaks have much bigger problems than Ukraine.”
This clear and clear break in support for Ukraine is very controversial in Slovakia where citizen organizations are mobilizing to raise funds intended to maintain military aid in favor of kyiv. Maneuvers at the antipodes of Robert Fico’s new policy.
Robert Fico’s government advocates its anti-immigration and homophobic positions and does not hesitate to challenge the rule of law. Only recently, the government has just passed a project to reform the public media, considered too partisan and too impervious to the pro-Russian rhetoric of the Slovak Prime Minister. A radical and controversial policy which in no way justifies this attack, described at the beginning of the afternoon as “cowardly”, “vile”, “vile” and “terrible” by all European leaders.
