Slovakia’s Prime Minister, Robert Fico, was shot after a government meeting and is currently receiving treatment in the hospital.
According to a report by APNews, the incident occurred outside the House of Culture in Handlova, approximately 150 kilometers northeast of the capital, where Fico was meeting with supporters.
The 59-year old Fico was hit in the stomach after four shots were fired. A suspect has been detained, according to the country’s president. A message posted on Fico’s Facebook account stated that he is in life-threatening condition and is being transported by helicopter to a hospital in Banská Bystrica for urgent medical attention.
Meanwhile, the outgoing President Zuzana Caputova, a political rival of Fico, condemned the attack, stating that “any violence is unacceptable” and that “hateful rhetoric leads to hateful actions.”
President-elect Peter Pellegrini, an ally of Fico, called the shooting “an unprecedented threat to Slovak democracy.”
Reactions of shock and condemnation came from across Europe, with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg expressing his shock and appalled by the shooting.
Also, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the “vile attack,” stating that “such acts of violence have no place in our society and undermine democracy.”
Fico, a third-time premier, won Slovakia’s parliamentary elections in September, campaigning on a pro-Russian and anti-American message.
His policies have been met with protests and criticism from thousands across Slovakia.
The shooting comes three weeks ahead of crucial European Parliament elections, in which populist and hard-right parties are expected to make gains.
