Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico walks throughout the European Council summit on the EU headquarters in Brussels, on April 18, 2024.
Kenzo Tribouillard | Afp | Getty Pictures
Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico is in a secure however “very critical” situation following surgical procedure after an assassination try, a well being official mentioned Thursday.
“His situation stabilized, however it’s really very critical, and subsequently he’ll really be within the intensive care unit on the premises of the overall hospital, the place he might be cared for by the staff and the whole staff of medical doctors that he’ll want,” Miriam Lapunikova, director of the F.D. Roosevelt College Hospital in Banska Bystrica the place Fico is underneath care, mentioned Thursday, in response to a Reuters video.
She added that Fico underwent a five-hour surgical procedure carried out by two medical groups. He suffered “a number of gunshot wounds, the results of which can have an effect on his restoration,” she mentioned.
Slovakian Deputy Prime Minister Tomas Taraba had additionally indicated that Fico was now not in a life-threatening situation.
“Luckily, so far as I do know, the operation went nicely, and I assume that on the finish he’ll survive,” Taraba instructed BBC Newshour. “At this second, the state of the operation needs to be that he isn’t in a life-threatening scenario.”
CNBC has reached out to Slovakia’s Ministry of Inside and Ministry of International Affairs.
Suspect charged
Fico, 59, was gravely wounded on Wednesday after being shot a number of instances following a political occasion within the Slovak city of Handlova. He was transported by helicopter to a close-by hospital in Banska Bystrica for emergency remedy, in response to his official Fb web page.
This picture taken from video footage obtained by AFPTV reveals safety personnel apprehending a suspected gunman (C/GROUND) after Slovakia’s Prime Minister was shot in Handlova on Could 15, 2024.
– | Afp | Getty Pictures
A suspect within the assassination try, who acted alone and beforehand participated in anti-government protests, has been charged, Reuters cited Slovakian Minister of the Inside Matúš Šutaj Eštok as saying on Thursday. He added that the person had listed authorities insurance policies on prosecution and media as the explanations behind the assault.
Beforehand, the minister had described the capturing as a “politically motivated try,” in response to translated video footage carried by Sky Information.
Slovakian President Zuzana Caputova had reported that police detained a suspect linked to the incident on Wednesday in a social media replace.
Fico has served as prime minister of Slovakia for round 10 years throughout three mandates, heading the Smer (Route) celebration. He most lately assumed the put up following parliamentary elections in 2023 and in October pledged to cease navy help for Ukraine and to now not endorse additional sanctions in opposition to Russia, Reuters reported.
His administration has additionally proposed a contentious overhaul and state takeover of public broadcaster RTVS, and a extremely controversial modification to the nation’s penal code that will, amongst different measures, eradicate the particular prosecutors’ workplace that oversees critical crimes.
