Slovakia PM Robert Fico ‘fighting for life’ after five shots fired in ‘politically motivated’ attack, ministers say – live updates | Slovakia

• Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is in a “life-threatening” and “serious” condition after he was shot multiple times on Wednesday in front of the House of Culture in the city of Handlova.

• Robert Kaliniak, Slovakia’s defense minister, said Fico was still undergoing surgery and was in an “extremely serious” condition.

• Slovak Interior Minister Matusz Šutaj-Eštok said the attacker shot Fico five times. He said initial information “clearly points to a political motivation” after Slovakia’s presidential election. According to Denník N, Fico was shot in the abdomen and left arm.

• Šutaj-Eštok described the incident as “the saddest moment in the 31-year history of Slovakia… The attack on the prime minister is an attack on democracy. This is an attack on the state itself.”

• Fico was conscious while being transported to the hospital and was being treated for gunshot wounds, according to a hospital spokesman.

• The suspect is a 71-year-old man, according to local media reports. Slovak media reported that the shooter was a former mall security guard.

• Global leaders including Joe Biden, Ursula von der Leyen and Vladimir Putin condemned the attack on Fico. The US president said he was “distressed” by the attack. Viktor Orbán, a close ally of Hungary, said he was “deeply shocked by the disgusting attack on my friend”. Von der Leyen said: “I strongly condemn the vile attack on the Prime Minister Robert Fico.

Lisa O’Carroll

EU leaders condemned the “cowardly” attempt to kill Slovakia’s present, Robert Ficowarning that violence has “no place” in European politics.

Olaf Scholz, the chancellor of Germany, a country that has itself experienced a wave of violent attacks on politicians in the past month, said: “I am deeply shocked by the news of the cowardly attack on Slovak Prime Minister Fico. Violence should not exist in European politics.

Speaking just three weeks before European Parliament elections, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, echoed his message, condemning what she said was a “vile attack” on “both the prime minister and democracy”.

European politicians have warned that the basis for more likely violence is being laid by the growing polarization in political discourse on both the left and the right.

In a statement, the liberal political group Renew said it was “increasingly alarmed by the growing polarization in our political sphere, fueled by extremist ideologies, both left and right.”

This “climate of heightened division lays the foundation for an environment in which acts of violence are more likely to occur, and also wrongly justified by those who seek to disrupt and dominate rather than engage and debate,” it added in him.

The Slovak police will hold a press conference tomorrow, the Minister of Internal Affairs and Defense of the country told reporters in front of the hospital in Banska Bistrica.

Minister of the Interior Matusz Shutay-Eshtok said officials will do everything possible to ensure that people in Slovakia are safe.

He said he was in the operating theater with Prime Minister Fitzo and that “what I was thinking was how can someone be so hateful?” He added:

Please, let’s not turn hate into a response to hate. This is a call to all politicians… I am asking the whole society: let’s calm down. Let’s not start killing each other just because I can’t respect someone else’s opinion.

He added that he personally believes “there are a number of people who need to look in the mirror” for contributing to this situation and called on journalists, the public and politicians to “stop spreading hate”.

We cannot answer hate with hate. That’s why I would like to request you to stop all this social media hate directed at this or that political party… Stop now, immediately.

The surgeon who works with the Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Ficosaid his condition was “life-threatening” and “serious,” the country’s defense and interior ministers said.

Fico underwent surgery for more than three and a half hours, they said, adding that there was a “huge medical team trying to reverse the effects of this attempted murder.”

Interior Minister of Slovakia, Matusz Shutay-Eshtoksaid the attacker who was shot at Robert Fico five times and the Prime Minister was in a “critical condition”.

He said initial information “clearly points to a political motivation” after Slovakia’s presidential election. He also called on journalists and politicians to “stop spreading hate” on social media, adding:

What started now was sown by many of you, by your hatred.

Interior Minister of Slovakia, Matusz Shutay-Eshtok said Slovakia it has always been known as “a country of people who are tolerant… and accepting of other opinions”.

At a press conference outside the hospital, he said:

What happened today is a stigma that will haunt us for many years to come.

All they’re focusing on is Robert Fico’s condition “and hopefully he’s strong enough to deal with this injury,” he said.

He added:

Today is the saddest moment in Slovakia’s 31-year history… The attack on the Prime Minister is an attack on democracy. It is an attack on the state itself.

Minister of Defense of Slovakia, Robert Kaliniaksaid the prime minister of the country, Robert Ficohe is still undergoing surgery and is in an “extremely serious” condition.

Kalinak, at a press conference outside the hospital in Banska Bistrica, said that medical workers were “fighting for the life” of Fico, who suffered “serious polytrauma after several shots.”

“Fico’s health is serious, his situation is bad,” he said.

At the moment we have no good news and we are hoping for the medical specialists at the hospital.

Kaliňák said the operation had been going on for three and a half hours now and that more medical information would be available later.