Prime Minister of Slovakia Shot and Wounded in the Abdomen

HANDLOVA, Slovakia, May 15: Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot and wounded in the abdomen following a government meeting on Wednesday, according to Slovak media.

A Reuters witness heard several shots fired after the meeting in Handlova, northeast of the capital Bratislava. Police detained a man, and security officials pushed someone into a car and drove away, according to the witness.

According to Slovak news agency TASR, parliamentary vice-chairman Lubos Blaha stated that Fico was shot and injured. TA3 reported four shots were fired, one of which struck Fico, 59, in the abdomen.

Following reports that a 59-year-old man in Handlova had been shot, emergency services dispatched a helicopter.

The government office was not immediately available for comment. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, condemned what she called a vile attack on Fico.

The Slovak government was meeting in Handlova, 190 kilometers (118 miles) northeast of Bratislava, as part of a tour of the country’s regions since assuming power late last year.

#BreakingNews‌ Slovak PM Robert Fico taken to his car after being shot several times. He was later picked up by an ambulance helicopter and flown to a hospital. His current condition is not known #slovakia pic.twitter.com/ZJdC3YiOQQ

— Punenow News (@itspunenow) May 15, 2024

Fico returned as prime minister of the central European country, which is a member of the European Union and NATO, for the fourth time last year, shifting political gears to appeal to a changing electorate.

Throughout his three-decade career, Fico has alternated between pro-European mainstream and nationalistic positions opposed to European Union and US policies. He has also demonstrated a willingness to change course based on public opinion or changing political realities.

Following the shooting, Slovakia’s largest opposition party cancelled a planned protest against government public broadcaster reforms scheduled for Wednesday evening.

(Based on a report by Reuters)