Radovan Stoklasa/Reuters
Security officers move Slovak PM Robert Fico in a car after the shooting incident in Handlova on May 15, 2024.
CNN
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Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot after a government meeting in Handlova, Slovakia’s state news agency reported Wednesday.
Several shots were fired, according to TASR news agency. Fico’s condition was not immediately known. Slovakia’s emergency medical service said it sent a helicopter ambulance to the scene.
The town of Handlova where the shooting happened is about two hours’ drive from the capital Bratislava. The government was there for an off-site meeting.
Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová condemned what she called a “brutal and reckless” attack on Fico, aged 59. “I’m shocked. I wish Roberto Fico all the strength in this critical moment to recover from the attack,” Čaputová wrote on Facebook.
Fico won a third term as Slovakian prime minister last October after running a campaign that criticized western support for Ukraine. Ahead of the election, Fico made no secret of his sympathies towards the Kremlin and blamed “Ukrainian Nazis and fascists” for provoking Vladimir Putin into launching the invasion, repeating the false narrative Russia’s president has used to justify his invasion.
While in opposition, Fico became a close ally of Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, especially when it came to criticism of the European Union.
Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP via Getty Images/FILE
Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico walks during a European Council summit in Brussels, on April 18, 2024.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
David Turner is a globe-trotting journalist who brings a global perspective to our readers. With a commitment to shedding light on international events, he explores complex geopolitical issues, offering a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
