The man who fired shots at Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico on Wednesday has been identified as 71-year-old Juraj Cintula, a poet and founder of the Slovak Association of Writers, and a supporter of the opposition Progressive Slovakia party. According to reports, Cintula used his licensed gun for the crime.
Slovak Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok addressed the media, calling the attack politically motivated and claiming that the decision was made right after the presidential election. He further blamed “social media hate” for the attack. Meanwhile, Fico, who was critically injured, has regained consciousness after an operation lasting several hours, as reported by local media.
Fico was in critical condition while undergoing surgery
Local media TA3, quoted by BBC, reported that Slovakian Environment Minister Tomas Taraba said the Prime Minister’s life is not in danger. “I was very shocked… 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,” Taraba said. According to Taraba, one shot hit the stomach and the other a joint.
Fico was in critical condition while undergoing surgery, Slovakian Defense Minister Robert Kalinak said earlier on Wednesday evening at a press conference. Fico was wounded Wednesday afternoon after attending a government meeting in the town of Handlova, some 150 km northeast of the capital. Eyewitnesses reported that the man shot the premier several times after a cabinet meeting as he was greeting supporters.
Fico was transported by helicopter to the Roosevelt Hospital in Banska Bystrica, as the flight to the capital would have taken longer. The head of the left-wing Smer-SD party, Fico returned to office in October 2023 after serving two stints as Prime Minister from 2006 to 2010 and from 2012 to 2018. He halted the previous policy of military aid to Kyiv and called for a negotiated settlement between Russia and Ukraine, putting him at odds with other European countries, except Hungary, which follows a similar course.