(Bratislava) The state of health of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is “slightly improving”, announced Friday the hospital where he is being treated after being seriously injured in mid-May by four bullets in an assassination attempt.
In its latest daily update, the hospital specifies that Mr. Fico’s condition remains “stable with slight improvement”, adding without further details: “We believe that this progress will continue.”
The shooting occurred on May 15 as the prime minister greeted supporters after a remote government meeting in Handlova, a town in central Slovakia.
Mr. Fico underwent two lengthy surgeries in Banska Bystrica (center) and his condition has since been described as stable but serious.
On Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister Robert Kalinak told journalists that Mr. Fico would remain in Banska Bystrica hospital for the time being.
“His condition is serious, the injuries are complicated. Transportation is definitely out of the question at the moment,” Mr. Kalinak said.
The attacker, identified by Slovak media as 71-year-old Juraj Cintula, was immediately arrested by Mr. Fico’s security guards. On Saturday, he was remanded in custody by a court for attempted premeditated murder.
“During interrogation, he stated that he did not agree with the policy of the current government,” we can read in a decision written by judge Roman Puchovsky on Saturday and seen by AFP.
The attacker notably criticizes Mr. Fico’s government for the abolition of the special prosecutor’s office, attacks on the media, the cessation of military aid to Ukraine, and its policy towards the Union European.
The assassination attempt highlighted deep political divisions in the country where Mr. Fico, 59, took office in October after his Smer-SD party won legislative elections.
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.