After the government meeting, the Prime Minister wanted to greet his sympathizers (in the last parliamentary elections in Handlova Smer and Hlas they won over 50% of the vote). Then the shots were fired. Fico lost his balance, fell over. The safety guards responded, thanks to which he was already in a government limousine shortly later, which drove off towards the hospital.
At the same time, safety and police pacified the man who was expected to shoot the Prime Minister. He's a 71-year-old retired miner who utilized to work in Handlova, and most late as a safety defender at a mall in Levice, where he lives. He owned the guns legally. He is besides the author of 3 volumes of poesy and a associate of the Association of Slovak Writers. In his work he frequently wrote about “Cygans”. The media besides reports that in the past he was associated with the pro-Russian paramilitary group Slovenskí Branci, which spread pro-Kremlin propaganda in Slovakia.
First assassination in history
This is the first time in the past of modern Slovakia erstwhile the killer straight threatened the life of a high-ranking politician.
Politicians frequently receive various threats, especially via the Internet. On this basis, many of them were reinforced with protection. Fico and Igor Matovič, among others, have considerable experience. In February 2023, erstwhile defence minister Jaroslav Nadia received a sharp bullet in an envelope.
The most serious case documented by the police was the killer's shooting. two people in front of the Tepláreň bar on Zámocka Street in Bratislava in October 2022. The investigation showed that the main mark of the attacker was then Prime Minister Edurad Heger. The killer was waiting for him outside the home where he lived, but he wasn't there.
Politologists asked for reasons unanimously say that Slovaks are a highly polarized society and an attack on the Prime Minister should be a informing of what hatred and aggression rampant in public space can lead to. You can hear that there may be more akin incidents.
Who sows the wind...
It is worth recalling that Robert Fico, from losing in erstwhile parliamentary elections in 2020, regularly organized press conferences on which he criticized and attempted to discredit the then government, journalists and representatives of the judiciary. The reason on the 1 hand was the fear of a tightening loop around his neck – at any point Fico was accused of setting up and moving an organized crime group. On the another hand, he saw that the only chance to return to power was to be friends with utmost voters.
The last fewer years are hatred spreads, media insults, and throwing buckets of slop on anyone who can stand in his way to win. Fico among his constituents spreads pro-Russian propaganda, and at global level becomes a large friend of Ukrainewho wants to aid her not only humanitarianly but besides in the process of EU integration.
It was his organization – Smer – that changed the language of Slovak politics, crossing further borders. Meanwhile, Fico and coalition politicians had already attempted to make the impression that they and supporters of Petra Pellegrini were under force from hatred attacks from opposition voters and Ivan Korčok.
A period ago, Fico began informing about the atmosphere that arose after the presidential election. "On the streets, they call out government politicians and I only wait erstwhile this frustration, so intensely deepened by Denník N, Sme and News.sk, will translate into killing 1 of the leading government politicians," said Prime Minister Fico.
Condemned all, coalition as always divides
Immediately after the news about the shooting of the Prime Minister, politicians, regardless of their organization affiliation, explicitly condemned this act.
But even specified a tragic event never stopped a wave of attacks on journalists and opposition. Just after the first news was published, SNS coalition organization president Andrej Danko blamed the media attack. He besides mentioned the same editorial offices that Fico had previously talked about, and with which the government has not spoken since October 2023. “Are you happy now?” asked journalists Danko.
He was told by the vice-president of Smeru ̄uboš Blaha, shouting to journalists: “You have made us all targets!”.
It was not accidental to attack the media on the day of the assassination of the Prime Minister. The government's coalition has long been accusing of hostility and spreading false information to the largest editorial offices in the country, while coalitions visit the editorial offices of disinformation media more frequently and more willingly, which they thank for their "good journalistic work". It is worth recalling that the minister of culture is Martina Šimkovičová, who utilized to be the presenter of national tv Markíz, but was expelled for entries full of hatred towards migrants. It is presently the main star of pro-Russian, spreading disinformation on the net tv Slovan.
On the day of the parliament's assassination, there were debates on a bill changing Slovak public television. The coalition does not hide the fact that it wants to make government tv like the writing TVP, with which part of the society disagrees. On that day opposition protests were to take place in defence of RTVS, but after the attack the organizers cancelled them.
Now what?
The premiere by chopper was transported to a infirmary in Banská Bystrica, where he underwent respective hours of surgery. His wellness information is at odds for now. any media reports that Fico is in critical condition, any government representatives talking about a unchangeable state. No authoritative position yet. Doctors at Banská Bystrica infirmary were banned from communicating with the media, their phones were taken.
In the case of Robert Fico's long-term medical indisposition, 1 of the deputy prime ministers should take his place. There are presently 4 in the government. 1 is defence minister Robert Kaliíčk, and since he and the Prime Minister are from the same party, it is likely that Kaliíčk will temporarily take power. The next candidates are the Minister of Economy Denis Saková of Hlas, her organization colleague Peter Kmec, who is vice-president of the corrective plan, and environmental minister Tomáš Taraba of SNS.
