In a shocking incident that has left Slovakia teetering on the brink of civil unrest, Prime Minister Robert Fico was critically injured in an assassination attempt.
The country's Interior Minister, Matus Sutaj Estok, issued a stark warning of potential civil war following the attack on Fico, who was shot multiple times at close range while greeting supporters outside government offices in the north-east of the capital, Bratislava.
The 59-year-old Prime Minister was airlifted to a hospital where he underwent emergency surgery. His condition is currently described as serious but stable. The incident has triggered desperate pleas for calm from Slovak politicians, as the country grapples with deep political divisions that threaten to plunge it into chaos.
The alleged assailant, a 71-year-old writer named Juraj Cintula, has been arrested and charged with attempted murder. If found guilty, he could face a prison sentence ranging from 25 years to life, according to Slovakian press reports. In the aftermath of the attack, Cintula's wife has been placed under police protection amid fears of retaliation from Fico's supporters.
Interior Minister Estok described the attacker as a 'lone wolf' with a clear political motive, although he did not elaborate on the nature of this motive. He also stated that the attacker was not affiliated with any political groups.
Dr. Daniela Richterova, a Central European security expert and Senior Lecturer in Intelligence Studies at King's College London, told MailOnline that the attack on Fico is the latest in a series of aggressive acts against politicians and the media in recent years. She pointed out that Fico's party, SMER, has notably shifted towards anti-Western, xenophobic, and confrontational politics ahead of the 2023 parliamentary elections.
Richterova highlighted Fico's inflammatory rhetoric against political opponents, particularly his derogatory remarks about sitting President Zuzana Caputova at a 2022 SMER rally. Despite this, she noted that the assassination attempt on Fico has been widely condemned by Slovakia's top political figures and opposition parties.
However, Fico's coalition partner, Andrei Danko, leader of the SNS party, declared the incident as the start of a 'political war'. He urged the opposition to respect the election results, further highlighting the deepening political fault lines in Slovakia.
The assassination attempt on Fico comes at a time of heightened political tension in Slovakia. Thousands of demonstrators have been protesting against his policies in the capital and across the country. The incident also precedes the upcoming June elections for the European Parliament.
Outgoing President Zuzana Caputova, a political rival of Fico, announced that the heads of the country's political parties would convene to promote calm and reject violence. She urged everyone to act responsibly, a sentiment echoed by President-elect Peter Pellegrini, a Fico ally. Their joint message aimed to alleviate the escalating political tensions that have gripped the country in recent months.
Fico's government, elected last September, has been controversial due to its decision to halt arms deliveries to Ukraine and plans to amend the penal code to eliminate a special anti-graft prosecutor and take control of public media. Critics fear that Fico's leadership could steer Slovakia, a NATO member nation of 5.4 million people, towards autocracy.
The attack on Fico has been described as a shock to the nation and an assault on democracy by Zuzana Eliasova, a resident of Bratislava. She expressed hope that the incident would prompt society to reflect on the extreme polarization that has divided the country.
Fico, who returned to power last year after two previous terms as Prime Minister, has been a divisive figure both domestically and internationally. His pro-Russian, anti-American stance has raised concerns among fellow European Union members about Slovakia's pro-Western course.
Despite the controversy surrounding Fico's leadership, condemnation of the attack has come from both his allies and adversaries. Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a message to President Caputova, expressing his support and wishing the Prime Minister a fast and full recovery. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also denounced the violence against a neighboring country's head of government.
As Slovakia grapples with the aftermath of this shocking incident, the nation's political elite face the daunting task of navigating the deepening political divisions and averting a potential crisis. The coming days and weeks will be crucial in determining the country's future stability and political trajectory.
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