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Slovakia prime minister taken to hospital as President Zuzana Caputova condemns ‘brutal and ruthless’ assault.
Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico is in a life-threatening situation after being wounded in a taking pictures, in line with his official Fb web page.
Fico was hit within the abdomen after 4 pictures have been fired outdoors the Home of Tradition within the city of Handlova on Wednesday afternoon, Slovakian media reported. Police sealed off the scene.
The Slovak authorities workplace stated in an emailed assertion that Fico was being transported by helicopter to Banska Bystrica Hospital.
A suspect has been detained, in line with the Dennik N information outlet and TA3, a Slovakian TV station.
Deputy speaker of parliament Lubos Blaha confirmed the incident throughout a session of Parliament and adjourned it till additional discover, the Slovak TASR information company stated.
President Zuzana Caputova condemned “a brutal and ruthless” assault on the prime minister.
“I’m shocked,” Caputova stated. “I want Robert Fico quite a lot of energy on this important second and a fast restoration from this assault.”
Western leaders, from Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak expressed shock on the taking pictures.
European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the assault too.
“Such acts of violence haven’t any place in our society and undermine democracy, our most treasured frequent good. My ideas are with PM Fico, his household”, she stated on X.
I strongly condemn the vile assault on Prime Minister Robert Fico.
Such acts of violence haven’t any place in our society and undermine democracy, our most treasured frequent good.
My ideas are with PM Fico and his household.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) May 15, 2024
Fico, a third-time premier, and his leftist Smer, or Course, occasion, received Slovakia’s September 30 parliamentary elections, staging a political comeback after campaigning on a pro-Russian and anti-American message.
Critics fearful Slovakia below Fico would abandon the nation’s pro-Western course and comply with the course of Hungary below populist Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
1000’s have repeatedly rallied within the capital and throughout Slovakia to protest Fico’s insurance policies.
Wednesday’s taking pictures comes three weeks forward of essential European Parliament elections, by which populist and hard-right events within the 27-nation bloc seem poised to make good points.
“That’s undoubtedly not one thing that anyone in Slovakia anticipated,” stated Alena Kudzko, vice chairman of Globsec, a safety coverage suppose tank.
Kudzko famous how the nation has been polarised over the previous yr amid heightened political rigidity, particularly within the run-up to the elections.
“However no one … referred to as for violence within the nation,” she informed Al Jazeera. “Fairly the other, everyone proper now’s making an attempt to unite and ship a coherent message, that political violence isn’t one thing that we help,” she added.
