Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot and hospitalised after a cabinet meeting in the central town of Handlova today.
Visuals of the aftermath of the attack show his bodyguards taking him inside his armoured limousine.
The Dennik N daily, whose reporter saw the premier being lifted into a car by security guards, reported that the suspected gunman had been detained by police, news agency AFP reported.
Eastern European media NEXTA in a post on X, quoting local reports, said the Prime Minister was shot multiple times.
“One to the abdomen, one to the head. He’s in serious condition,” NEXTA said in the post.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen denounced the “vile attack” on Robert Fico.
“I strongly condemn the vile attack on Prime Minister Robert Fico. Such acts of violence have no place in our society and undermine democracy, our most precious common good. My thoughts are with PM Fico, his family,” von der Leyen said on X.
⚡️⚡️⚡️ The first minutes after the attack on Robert #Fico – the prime minister’s security guards evacuate him to his motorcade while eyewitnesses hold the shooter
According to preliminary information from Slovak media, Fico was shot multiple times. One to the abdomen, one to the… pic.twitter.com/vhcYPPjjlg
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) May 15, 2024
Slovak President Zuzana Caputova condemned the “brutal and reckless” attack on the Prime Minister. “I am shocked. I wish Robert Fico a lot of strength in this critical moment to recover from the attack,” she said in a statement, calling it “a brutal and reckless attack”.
