Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, seriously injured by bullets on Wednesday, was “operated again” and is still in serious condition, a situation which plunges the country into uncertainty three weeks before the European elections.
Two days after the attack which occurred while he was greeting his supporters in central Slovakia, the 59-year-old leader remains hospitalized in intensive care.
“He underwent an operation lasting almost two hours,” said his close ally Robert Kalinak, during a press briefing at Banska Bystrica hospital. “His condition is still very serious. It will probably take a few days to see how this evolves,” according to the Minister of Defense.
“He can speak, but only to say a few sentences,” declared President-elect Peter Pellegrini on Thursday, after speaking “for a few minutes” with him. “He is very, very tired.”
He also indicated that a medical council would meet on Monday to decide on future treatment.
They “will decide whether he continues to be treated in Banska Bystrica or whether it is possible to transport him closer to his place of residence” in Bratislava, Mr. Pellegrini said on the TA3 news channel on Thursday evening.
He added that Mr. Fico remained conscious after the attack.
“He remembers the gunshots, he was surprised that it could happen and how quickly it happened,” he said.
Home searched
The investigation continues at the same time to learn more about the motivations of the suspect, identified by the media as a 71-year-old retiree, Juraj Cintula.
Charged Thursday with attempted premeditated murder, his profile does not really fit with the radicality of his action.
An amateur writer, he founded a movement “against violence”. But he also appears as an angry citizen who has visibly decided to take action, “dissatisfied” with the results of the April presidential election which crowned Peter Pellegrini, a close friend of Robert Fico.
In search of clues, the police searched the home of the alleged assailant on Friday, in the town of Levice, located 80 km from the scene of the tragedy.
Wearing a bulletproof vest and a helmet, he was escorted by investigators into the home he shared with his wife, according to footage from Markiza television channel.
“The police remained in the apartment for several hours […]they took away the computer and documents from the apartment,” the private channel said.
Questioned by AFP, the police refused to comment on the ongoing investigation.
This attack shocked Slovakia and raised fears of further violence in this extremely polarized country, a few weeks before the European elections.
“Even if Robert Fico recovers,” he will probably be absent “for months,” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Friday in a radio interview, praying for his “friend.”
However, this is a “decisive” moment for the future of the European Union and “the question of war and peace”, insisted the nationalist leader, who hopes to upset the balance of the European Parliament to stop “war fever” of Brussels.
After Mr. Fico returned to power in October, Slovakia changed course, ending military aid to neighboring Ukraine and pleading, like Mr. Orban, for peace talks with Russia.
“We really need Robert Fico and a peace-friendly Slovakia,” said the Hungarian leader.