“We are arriving in areas of opposition to democracy which are extremely serious”, reacts MP Frédéric Petit

Invited Wednesday on franceinfo, the MoDem deputy for the 7th constituency of French people living abroad warns of “anti-democratic forces around the European Union who seek to create chaos”. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is still between life and death.

“We are arriving in areas of opposition to democracy which are extremely serious,” reacted Wednesday May 15 on franceinfo Frédéric Petit, MoDem deputy for the 7th constituency of French people living abroad, after the attack against Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, injured by several bullets on Wednesday after a cabinet meeting. Robert Fico is located “between life and death”, according to the Slovak government.

“When an elected official is attacked, it’s a catastrophe,” Frédéric Petit is alarmed. “We still had, not very long ago, Thuringia”recalls the MP, in reference to the two men arrested in Thuringia, in eastern Germany, suspected of having prepared an attack near the Swedish parliament.

The MP for French Abroad, who counts Central and Eastern Europe in his constituency, still recalls the assassination of Polish Paweł Adamowicz, mayor of Gdansk, in 2019. “Even in France, we have people who play football with the head of the President of the Republic. But I am threatened with death quite often.” For Frédéric Petit, “we are arriving in areas that are catastrophic for democracy.” “We not only prevent citizens from thinking, with disinformation, but we prevent them from taking their responsibilities by disinhibiting them and we end up with this kind of thing. It is a democratic catastrophe for everyone.”

Frédéric Petit refutes the term political assassination attempt put forward by the Slovak government. “It means nothing to me, political assassination.” “I am a democrat, I am a humanist. I can be opposed to someone. And when I am opposed to someone, I do not seek to destroy them”underlines the MP. “It’s contradictory. The policy is precisely not to shoot people.” He judges “worrisome” the statement of the Slovak Defense Minister, who spoke of“a political attack”. “We must not let this enter into politics, retorts Frédéric Petit. Politics is the opposite. This is done to avoid the law of the strongest or the law of the one who shoots the fastest.”

“For me, a political crime is not democratic, it is not civic.”

Frédéric Petit, MoDem deputy for French people abroad

on franceinfo

Frédéric Petit judges that this attack “can destabilize the country”. He assures that “Slovak society, like Polish society and like Hungarian society, are profoundly European and profoundly democratic societies”. He believes that this can “create an electroshock” in the country. But he warns about “undemocratic forces around the European Union seeking to create chaos.” He finally hopes that “Politicians will avoid exploiting this in terms of points in polls. It’s too serious for everyone.”