(Bratislava) The state of health of the head of the Slovak government Robert Fico, who was the target of an assassination attempt, is evolving in a “positive” direction, the Slovak Minister of Health announced on Saturday, while the lone shooter was remanded in custody by a court.
What there is to know
- Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was the victim of an assassination attempt on Wednesday in Handlová;
- A suspect was arrested at the crime scene and taken into custody;
- The man fired five shots at the politician and hit him four times;
- Robert Fico is hospitalized in Banska Bystrica, where he underwent two surgeries;
- “The Prime Minister’s state of health is stable, but it remains serious,” according to Minister Zuzana Dolinkova;
Mr. Fico has been hospitalized since Wednesday, when a man opened fire on him, hitting him with several bullets, notably in the abdomen.
He underwent a five-hour operation on Wednesday and a shorter one on Friday, both at a hospital in the town of Banska Bystrica in central Slovakia.
“Yesterday’s surgical intervention, which lasted two hours, contributed to a positive prognosis on the state of health of the Prime Minister”, which “is stable but remains serious”, Minister Zuzana Dolinkova declared on Saturday at the press.
PHOTO BERNADETT SZABO, REUTERS
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico remains hospitalized at the FD Roosevelt University Hospital in Banska Bystrica.
The assailant, identified by Slovak media as 71-year-old poet Juraj Cintula, fired five shots at Robert Fico, hitting him four times.
His detention was ordered because “there are fears of a potential escape or that the criminal activity will continue”, Katarina Kudjakova, the spokesperson for the special criminal court in Pezinok, northeast of the capital Bratislava.
The court’s decision follows the request presented Friday by the prosecutor who charged the suspect with attempted premeditated murder.
The shooting occurred as Mr. Fico greeted supporters after a remote government meeting in Handlova, a town in central Slovakia.
“If the shot had gone a few centimeters higher, it would have hit the prime minister’s liver,” Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok told the TA3 television channel.
We’re not there yet
PHOTO RADOVAN STOKLASA, REUTERS
A man was arrested after the assassination attempt against Robert Fico on Wednesday in Handlová.
Defense Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Robert Kalinak, Mr. Fico’s closest political ally, told reporters that the latter was conscious.
“I don’t think he can be transported to Bratislava in the next few days because his condition is still serious,” he continued.
Later that day, Mr. Kalinak told TA3 that Mr. Fico had suffered four gunshot wounds, two minor, one medium and one serious.
He said doctors removed anything potentially infectious from his wounds during Friday’s operation.
“It will take four or five days for the body to begin to overcome such injuries but we are not there yet,” underlined Mr. Kalinak, welcoming the good physical form of the head of government, known to be a fan of running and bodybuilding.
Mr. Fico, 59, has held his post since his centrist party, Smer-SD, won legislative elections last fall.
All these lies
Mr. Fico is serving his fourth term as prime minister after campaigning on peace proposals between Russia and Ukraine, a neighboring state of Slovakia, and on stopping military aid to Kyiv, which which his government subsequently implemented.
The assassination attempt deeply shocked Slovakia, a country of 5.4 million inhabitants, a member of the European Union and NATO, which has been sharply divided politically for years.
The outgoing pro-Western president, Zuzana Caputova, and her successor, Peter Pellegrini, an ally of Mr. Fico who will take office in June, called on their fellow citizens to refrain from any “confrontation” after the shooting.
They called a meeting of all parliamentary party leaders for Tuesday to show unity in the wake of the attack.
Mr. Kalinak, however, suggested on Saturday that Smer-SD would not participate in this meeting.
“They invited the leaders of the political parties and our (party) president is in the hands of the doctors,” he explained.
Mr. Kalinak said he would call Mr.me Caputova on this subject, noting that Slovakia needed “reconciliation” and “peace”.
Some Slovak politicians have already made accusations against their opponents, accusing them of being behind the attack.
Mr. Kalinak himself criticized opposition politicians and some media on Friday for having described Mr. Fico as a criminal, a dictator or a servant of Russian President Vladimir Putin before the assassination attempt.
“All these lies are the main reason why Robert Fico is fighting for his life today,” he said in a message published on the Smer-SD website.
Read “Assassination attempt in Slovakia: fears of political violence reignited”