Slovakian Prime Minister Survives Bullet Shower in Politics-Driven Attack

In an alarming event, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico was the target of an apparent assassination attempt earlier this week. Fico, the seasoned 59-year-old leader of the Direction-Social Democracy party, was riddled with bullets but is expected to make a full recovery.

Deputy Prime Minister Tomas Taraba conveyed to the BBC that Fico’s surgery, which lasted five hours, was successful. He assured, “I guess in the end he will survive.”

Witness accounts given to Reuters revealed that the incident occurred as Fico was leaving a building to interact with a crowd in central Slovak town of Handlova. Gunshots disrupted the scene before Fico could greet the waiting people. In the midst of the chaos, security personnel whisked the wounded leader away while police apprehended a 71-year-old suspect.

Fico’s injuries were severe, with one bullet penetrating his stomach and another striking a joint. Deputy PM Taraba revealed that the Prime Minister was shot a total of five times.

Local news sources identified the man charged with the shooting as Juraj Cintula, a liberal activist with a background in security and a self-proclaimed poet. His son expressed his shock, stating, “I have absolutely no idea what my father intended, what he planned, what happened.” Cintula has reportedly admitted to planning the attack but denied any intention to kill Fico.

The ramifications of the event are unclear for Slovakia’s 5.4 million populace, as there is speculation that the assassination attempt was politically motivated. Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok suggested a connection between the incident and the recent presidential election.

Fico, a notable ally of the newly elected President Peter Pellegrini, had raised eyebrows amongst European NATO allies and domestic centrists by halting military aid to Ukraine, while maintaining nonmilitary aid. His opposition to Ukraine’s potential NATO membership and sanctions against Russia also sparked controversy.

Eštok stated, “This assassination attempt was politically motivated and the suspect made the decision to do it shortly after the presidential election.”

Both President Pellegrini and his predecessor Zuzana Čaputová called for calm and unity following the attack. Pellegrini wrote, “An assassination attempt on the Prime Minister is a threat to everything that has adorned Slovak democracy so far.” Čaputová echoed these sentiments, suggesting that the shooting was an attack on democracy itself.

International responses to the event were swift and condemning. U.S. President Joe Biden stated, “We condemn this horrific act of violence. Our embassy is in close touch with the government of Slovakia and ready to assist.”

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expressed his shock and wished Fico a speedy recovery. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky also voiced condemnation, emphasizing that “every effort should be made to ensure that violence does not become the norm in any country, form, or sphere.”

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