BANSKA BYSTRICA, Slovakia (AP) – Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico remains in serious condition but has been given a positive prognosis after being shot multiple times four days ago in an assassination attempt that has shocked the deeply polarized European Union nation, according to the defense minister.
“The worst of what we feared has passed, at least for the moment. But his condition remains serious,” Robert Kalinak stated outside the hospital where Fico is being treated. “His condition is stable with a positive prognosis.”
Kalinak mentioned that the hospital in Banská Bystrica, a former coal mining town of 16,000 located 29 kilometers (17 miles) from where Fico was attacked, will continue providing updates on his health status.
Milan Urbáni, the hospital’s deputy director, informed reporters, “Based on the doctors’ morning consultation, we can conclude that the patient is currently out of a life-threatening condition. His condition remains very serious, and he needs an extended period to rest and recover. We firmly believe that everything will go in a good direction.”
Fico, 59, was shot in the abdomen while greeting supporters on Wednesday outside a cultural center in Handlova, nearly 140 kilometers (85 miles) northeast of the capital, Bratislava. Video footage showed the Slovak premier approaching people near barricades, extending his hand for a handshake, when a man stepped forward, extended his arm, and fired five rounds before being tackled and arrested.
On Friday, Fico underwent two hours of surgery to remove dead tissue from his wounds, but officials noted Saturday that he was not healthy enough to be transferred to the capital.
The country’s Specialized Criminal Court in Pezinok ordered on Saturday that the suspected assailant, charged with attempted murder, remains in custody due to concerns he might flee or commit further crimes. The suspect can appeal the order.
Prosecutors have withheld detailed information about the would-be assassin, including his identity, though unconfirmed media reports describe him as a 71-year-old retiree and amateur poet who once worked as a mall security guard. The suspect does not belong to any political groups, though the attack was politically motivated.
Last month, Fico expressed on Facebook his belief that rising tensions in the country could lead to the killing of politicians, blaming the media for exacerbating the situation in the nation of 5.4 million.
In his address on Sunday, Kalinak emphasized the importance of learning from the attack on Fico, a long-time divisive figure in Slovakia and beyond. “This must be a memento. If we don’t learn, we’re heading for hell,” he said. “We need to bring this situation back to what we can consider standard.”
President-elect Peter Pellegrini, an ally of Fico, remarked on Sunday that Slovakia is a “wounded country” following the assassination attempt.
“In these difficult moments, each of us decides by our actions whether these wounds will heal or whether other wounds will compound them,” Pellegrini said in a video posted on Facebook.
