Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who has been kept the lid on and has remained conspicuously neutral in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, was gravely hurt in an assassination attempt earlier today. The Slovak Prime Minister was attacked in the town of Handlova, where Fico met the public after the government session. Unknown persons fired several shots at him. According to reports, he has been admitted to a nearby hospital in Banska Bystrica for immediate medical treatment.
"The situation is really serious," said Defence Minister Robert Kalinak, who confirmed Fico's critical condition. Medical personnel have been on continuous duty conducting his surgery for more than three hours, an indication of the seriousness of the injuries he sustained. According to Labour Minister Erik Tomas, Fico's operation is a long process because several organs have been damaged.
The authorities treat the attack as politically motivated. According to Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok, "social media hate" is one of the causes. According to the officials, the attacker identified as one Juraj Cintula allegedly used a licensed gun in the attempt. The President, Zuzana Caputova, deplored the attack and called for solidarity in this difficult time.
Country leaders the world over were shocked and hugely condemned the attack. Among a long list of country leaders, Hungary's Viktor Orban, the Czech Republic's Petr Fiala, Russia's Vladimir Putin, US President Joe Biden, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made available words of support and condemnation of the violence.
Fico returned to the office last year and changed the prior policy of the country regarding military aid for Ukraine. His call for a peaceful solution to the conflict has gained support as well as criticism across Europe. However, the attack on his life brings into focus the essentials of democratic processes in settling political differences.
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