Slovakia’s Prime Minister, Robert Fico, was shot on Wednesday and transported to a hospital in Banska Bystrica by helicopter. According to his office, his condition is critical. The incident occurred in Handlova, northeast of the capital, Bratislava, where Fico, 59, was holding a government meeting. The police detained a man.
“I am shocked. We are all shocked by the terrible and vile attack on Prime Minister Robert Fico. We may not fully comprehend yet the seriousness of what has happened today. The shooting of the Prime Minister is, first and foremost, an attack on a human being — but it’s also an attack on democracy. Violence is absolutely unacceptable. Hate speech and rhetoric full of hate, which we witness across society, leads to hateful acts. Please, let us stop this,” Slovakia’s outgoing President, Zuzana Caputova, posted on X.
“The police have arrested the perpetrator and will provide further information when possible. Until then, let us not pass quick judgments, please. I think the most important thing we should all focus on now is Robert Fico’s fast recovery,” the President added.
The president-elect, Peter Pellegrini, who takes power next month, said: “An assassination attempt on the Prime Minister is a threat to everything that has adorned Slovak democracy so far.“
“With horror, I received the information that Prime Minister Robert Fico became the target of an assassination attempt after a government meeting in Handlova, and during a meeting with people, he suffered gunshot wounds following the attack,“ Pellegrini stated.
However, his statement reveals Pellegrini has no doubts about the political motivation of the attempt, although he didn’t give further explanations.
“I am horrified by where the hatred towards another political opinion can lead. We don’t have to agree on everything, but there are plenty of ways to express our disagreement democratically and legally. An assassination attempt on one of the highest constitutional officials is an unprecedented threat to Slovak democracy. If we express different political opinions with guns in the squares and not in polling stations, we endanger everything we have built together in 31 years of Slovak sovereignty,“ added Pellegrini.
The parties of the democratic opposition condemned the attack and called the political parties to avoid false information and tensions.
“We absolutely and strongly condemn the violence and today’s shooting of Prime Minister Robert Fico. We believe he will be fine. At the same time, we call on all politicians to refrain from any statements and actions that may contribute to the escalation of tension,“ Michal Šimečka, the leader of the main opposition party Progressive Slovakia, posted on X.
The OĽaNO and Friends party, an EPP member, issued a statement from its leader, Igor Matovič, on the shooting.
“Robert Fico is my long-time political opponent. This is politics. As a person, however, I wish him a speedy recovery, and I deeply condemn any violence. Fists and bullets will not solve anything in politics. PLEASE, let’s be human.”
The Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), an EPP-affiliated party, condemned the attack.
“We are horrified by the attack on the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic. We cannot tolerate such behaviour against anyone in a civilised society. We must all unite against any form of violence. The attack on the prime minister is an attack on Slovak statehood and sovereignty. At this moment, it is necessary to do everything to appease society. We clearly condemn aggressiveness, violence and attacks on politicians and other public figures. We wish the Prime Minister a speedy recovery and think of him in prayers”.
The chairman of the ECR member Freedom and Solidarity Party (SaS), Branislav Gröhling, strongly condemned any physical violence and wished Fico a speedy recovery.
“We are shocked. Attacking the country’s prime minister, whatever our political opinion, is unacceptable. We condemn any violence and attacks on politicians, and I believe that the prime minister will recover soon. I would also like to ask all politicians to calm down the situation and not escalate it further,“ Gröhling said.
The far-right exploits the assassination attempt
Circles aiming at the destabilisation of the Slovak democracy spread false information about the shooter’s identity, associating him with the opposition.
In an inflammatory declaration uploaded on the Facebook account of the far-right Slovak National Party (SNS), a partner in Fico’s coalition government, its vice-president Dagmar Kramplova, wrote:
“We strongly condemn the violent attack on Prime Minister Robert Fico! Circumstances gradually and directly clarify who the attacker behind this attack is. Therefore, it is clear that the opposition media and the lunatics in the liberal opposition are clearly responsible for this unprecedented attack, who have been spreading an atmosphere of boundless hatred towards Robert Fico and the parties of the current coalition for years!“
In response to such accusations, Šimečka made an additional declaration on X.
“We share the horror of today’s assassination attempt against the prime minister. We are concerned about the further escalation of tension in society. We, therefore, warn against spreading false information about the shooter. We categorically deny that he is a member of our movement. Nor is there any other connection between him and our party or our members. We strongly condemn his heinous act.”
The international community express its concern
The assassination attempt against the Prime Minister occurred at a challenging moment for the Slovak Republic. Since Robert Fico assumed his office, the political situation in the country became highly polarised. Thus, the EU is deeply concerned about an eventual escalation of tensions.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen strongly condemned the “vile attack on Prime Minister Robert Fico”.
“Such acts of violence have no place in our society and undermine democracy, our most precious common good. My thoughts are with PM Fico and his family,“ EC President posted on X.
Similarly, High Representative Josep Borrell Fontelles posted: “I am shocked by the news of the attack on Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, which I condemn. Once again, we are witnessing unacceptable attacks against political representatives. My thoughts are with Prime Minister Fico and his family.”
European Parliament’s President Roberta Metsola condemned “this violent act” on behalf of the Parliament.
“My thoughts are with him and his family during this very difficult moment,“ Metsola posted.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and other European leaders and officials condemned the attack.
