By In a shocking turn of events, Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico is fighting for his life after being shot multiple times in an assassination attempt on Wednesday. The shooting occurred following an off-site government meeting in the central Slovak town of Handlova, where a small crowd had gathered to greet the prime minister outside the cultural center.
According to local media reports, the suspected gunman was among the crowd waiting for Fico on the street. Footage from the scene shows the wounded prime minister being quickly ushered into a vehicle by his staff, which immediately sped away from the area.
Fico was initially taken to a local hospital before being airlifted to a major trauma center in Banska Bystrica, approximately 20 miles (30 kilometers) away. A statement released on Fico’s official Facebook page and his party’s website described the incident as “an assassination attempt,” noting that the prime minister was shot multiple times and is currently in a life-threatening condition. The statement added that “the next few hours will be decisive.”
Slovak Labor Minister Erik Tomáš confirmed that no one else was injured in the attack. President Zuzana Caputova, in a news conference, condemned the shooting as “an attack on democracy” and stated that the suspected gunman had been detained. She urged the public to refrain from spreading unconfirmed rumors and await further information from the police.
Eyewitness Lubica Valkova, 66, who was present at the scene, described the terrifying moment she heard three quick shots, comparing the sound to firecrackers being thrown on the ground. Valkova, who had been waiting since 10 a.m. to meet Fico, told Reuters that she saw “a scratch on a head” before the prime minister fell next to a barrier. She expressed her disbelief, saying, “I think it is a nightmare, I’ll tell you I think I will not wake up from this. That this is not possible to happen in Slovakia.”
Opposition members of Slovakia’s parliament have reacted to the assassination attempt, with Maria Kolikova stating that the attack on the prime minister is “clearly an attack on the internal security of Slovakia.” Another opposition lawmaker, Branislav Gröhling, pointed to the escalating tensions in society, saying, “It is right that we have different political views, but there is interference in society and this has resulted in this act of violence.”
As the nation grapples with the shock of this unprecedented event, the focus remains on Prime Minister Fico’s critical condition and the ongoing investigation into the assassination attempt. The incident has sent shockwaves through Slovakia’s political landscape and raised concerns about the country’s internal security and the state of its democracy.
