Slovakia

[RTH10260]

Slovak PM Fico in life-threatening condition after assassination attempt, government says

By Radovan Stoklasa
May 15, 20244:33 PM GMT+2Updated 2 min ago

HANDLOVA, Slovakia, May 15 (Reuters) - Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico suffered life-threatening injuries when he was shot and wounded in an attempted assassination on Wednesday, the government office said.

Fico, 59, was rushed to hospital in the central city of Handlova after holding a government meeting there, and was being transported by helicopter to the city of Banska Bystrica for urgent treatment, it said.

A Reuters witness heard several shots fired after the meeting in Handlova northeast of the capital Bratislava. Police detained a man and security officials pushed someone into a car and drove off, the witness said.

"An assassination (attempt) on Prime Minister Robert Fico was carried out today at the government's off-site meeting in Handlova," the government office said in a statement.

"At the moment he is being transported by helicopter to Banska Bystrica, because it would take too long to Bratislava in view of the necessity of an acute intervention."

Emergency Services said they had received information about a man being shot in Handlova shortly after 2:30 p.m. (1230 GMT) and sent an emergency helicopter to a 59-year old patient.

Broadcaster TA3 reported four shots were fired, and that the leftist prime minister had been hit in the abdomen.



https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/sh ... 024-05-15/

[Suranis]

Latest reports also say that he has been hit in the torso and limbs as well. He will be lucky to make it.

[Dr. Ken]

[Dr. Ken]

https://apnews.com/article/slovakia-pri ... 4861337ae0

Lone wolf arrested.

Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok asked journalists to “reflect” on how they had covered Fico’s policies. He referred to the suspect — who was charged with premeditated murder — as a “lone wolf” who did not belong to any political groups, though he said the attack itself was politically motivated.

Fico has long been a divisive figure in Slovakia and beyond, and his return to power last year on a pro-Russian, anti-American message led to even greater worries among fellow European Union and NATO members that he would abandon his country’s pro-Western course — particularly on Ukraine. At the start of Russia’s invasion, Slovakia was one of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters, but Fico halted arms deliveries to the neighbor when he came to power.

Fico’s government has also made efforts to overhaul public broadcasting — a move critics said would result in the government’s full control of public television and radio. That coupled with his plans to amend the penal code to eliminate a special anti-graft prosecutor have led opponents to worry that Fico will lead Slovakia down a more autocratic path.

I actually have a side trip to Bratislava at the end of the month.