Slovakia PM Robert Fico ‘stabilised’ after surgery, remains in ‘serious’ condition after assassination attempt

By Team Asianet Newsable | First Published May 16, 2024, 5:32 PM IST

Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico was in a "very serious" but stable condition on Thursday, a hospital official said, after he was shot five times in an assassination attempt that has laid bare deep political divisions in the country.

Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico is currently in 'stable' condition but remains seriously injured after being shot from close range in Handlova on Wednesday (local time), according to CNN. His deputy confirmed that the Slovak prime minister had undergone surgery following the assassination attempt that shook the European nation yesterday, prompting comments from numerous world leaders.

What happened with Slovakia's PM?

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Attacks against the 59-year-old populist leader came after an off-site cabinet meeting in the town of Handlova on Wednesday. The leader returned to power last year, and his controversial policies have sparked protests in recent weeks.

As the prime minister approached a small group of people waiting for him, a probable gunman in the crowd surged forward and fired fire on him five times from behind a security screen, according to CNN. The wounded prime minister was seen on CCTV being carried into a car by his aides, which then drove away with him inside.

Slovakia's PM underwent surgery

According to hospital officials, Fico was transferred from a nearby major trauma centre to a smaller hospital, where he was hospitalised and had more than five hours of surgery. On Thursday, hospital director Miriam Lapunikova stated that Fico was "stabilised but in a very serious condition," and that he will remain in the intensive care unit. She also stated that the prime minister was operated on by two surgical teams at the hospital, according to CNN.

On Thursday morning, the country’s Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Robert Kalinak said Fico’s condition “has been stabilized overnight, more steps are being taken to better his health. The situation is really serious.”

The assassination attempt on Prime Minister Robert Fico has sent shockwaves throughout Slovakia. The incident occurred following an off-site government meeting in the central Slovak town of Handlova. Slovak President Zuzana Caputova confirmed the detainment of the suspected gunman by police, urging the public to await further information from law enforcement agencies. Caputova condemned the attack as a “brutal and reckless” assault on democracy.

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