Robert Fico, who returned to power last October, was hit in the stomach after four shots were fired in Handlova, around 112 miles north of Bratislava, reports say
Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico “is expected to survive” after a shocking public assassination attempt this afternoon, his Deputy Prime Minister has said.
Speaking to the BBC, Slovakia’s deputy prime minister confirmed he had been told that Prime Minister Robert Fico “will survive” and that the politician is is no longer in a life threatening situation. Tomas Taraba said: :Fortunately as far as I know the operation went well – and I guess in the end he will survive. he’s not in a life threatening situation at this moment.”
He continued: “He was heavily injured – one bullet went thought the stomach and the second one hit the joint – immediately he was transported to the hospital and then to the operation,” Taraba said.
A Slovak interior ministry spokesman confirmed Mr Fico, 59, was subject to an assassination attempt on Wednesday afternoon and a man was arrested. The politician was rushed by air ambulance to hospital, where he has since died. It had been reported Mr Fico suffered stomach wounds, having been hit four times in the attack in Handlova, around 112 miles north of Bratislava.
Speaking earlier on Wednesday, Slovakia’s outgoing president Zuzana Caputova said she is shocked by the “brutal and ruthless” attack on the prime minister. She added: “I am shocked. I wish Robert Fico a lot of strength in this critical moment to recover from the attack.”
Journalists at the scene said several shots were heard, the Associated Press reports, before the prime minister fell to the ground. He was then seen being hurried into a car by security.
Mr Fico returned to power last year and leads the populist left-wing Smer-SSD party. He won the vote last October with pledges to halt military aid to Ukraine, but denied being pro-Russian. He previously was forced to step down as prime minister following the murder of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak in 2018.
During his campaign, the politician had told supporters: “If Smer enters government, we will not send a single round of ammunition to Ukraine.” Father-of-one Mr Fico also pledged to resist Western sanctions on Russia.
Mr Fico holds a record as the longest-serving prime minister in the country’s history, having served for a total of more than 10 years. First elected to Parliament in 1992 (whilst within Czechoslovakia), he was later appointed to the Council of Europe.