Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot multiple times has survived and is stable, recovering in the hospital.
The assassination attempt took place in Handlova, a town in Slovakia. Fico was first transported to a local hospital and then taken by helicopter to a major trauma center in Banska Bystrica, about 30 kilometers away.
“There was an assassination attempt on R. Fico. He was shot multiple times and is currently in a life-threatening condition. The next few hours will be decisive,” said a statement on Fico’s official Facebook page.
The suspected gunman was detained at the scene by law enforcement officers, according to Slovakia’s state news agency TASR.
The official statement said the PM was taken to Banska Bystrica instead of the capital city of Bratislava because “an acute intervention” was necessary. Handlova is about two hours’ drive from the capital Bratislava.
Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová condemned what she called a “brutal and reckless” attack on the 59-year-old politician. “I’m shocked. I wish Roberto Fico all the strength in this critical moment to recover from the attack,” Čaputová wrote on Facebook.
