Slovakia’s Prime Minister, Robert Fico, was wounded in a shooting incident that took place Wednesday afternoon. Reports from TA3, a Slovakian TV station, indicate that Fico, aged 59, sustained injuries to the stomach after four shots were fired outside the House of Culture in Handlova. The town, located approximately 150 kilometers northeast of the capital, was the venue for a meeting between the Prime Minister and his supporters. Authorities have apprehended a suspect in connection with the incident.
Following the shooting, police cordoned off the area, and Prime Minister Fico was swiftly transported to a hospital in Banska Bystrica.
The shooting comes amidst heightened political tensions in Slovakia, just three weeks before crucial European Parliament elections. Populist and hard-right parties across the 27-nation bloc are anticipated to make significant gains in the upcoming elections.
Deputy Speaker of Parliament Lubos Blaha confirmed the incident during a parliamentary session, subsequently adjourning proceedings until further notice.
In response to the attack, Slovakia’s major opposition parties, Progressive Slovakia and Freedom and Solidarity, canceled a planned protest against a controversial government plan to overhaul public broadcasting. They expressed condemnation of the violence and called for restraint among politicians to prevent further escalation of tensions.
President Zuzana Caputova condemned the attack as “brutal and ruthless,” emphasizing the need for unity in denouncing such acts of violence.
