By: Rory Zeman

Culture Editor

On May 15, when Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico went to shake the hands of some people behind a barricade in the town of Handlova in Slovakia, a 71-year-old man unloaded four rounds from a handgun into the abdomen of the leader. 

Immediately following the attack, security guards tackled the man with the gun and rushed Fico into a car, airlifting him to a hospital. There, Fico underwent a five-hour-long surgery and remained in critical condition for hours. However, Tomas Taraba, the Slovak Deputy Prime Minister, revealed that after the surgery, Fico was “not in a life-threatening situation.”

As for the man in custody, authorities have yet to officially disclose the man’s identity. However, authorities have shared that they believe that the man acted alone, with the Interior Minister labeling the man a “lone wolf.” Despite the tight control of information regarding the case by Slovak authorities, reporters saw the man in handcuffs as police brought him to his house for a search and seizure.

Authorities have also stated that the attack was “clearly” political. Slovakia has been politically divided ever since the reelection of Fico. This division owes mainly to Fico’s pro-Russian foreign policy. Namely, Fico, despite Slovakia’s initial aid to Ukraine at the beginning of the invasion, promised a complete withdrawal of support for Ukraine and has fulfilled that campaign promise as of late 2023. In addition, Fico has supported the nationalization and tight government control of certain industries, like that of public TV channels.

The attacker, whom some prosecutors have identified as Juraj C, remains in custody despite a Slovak law that prohibits jail time of over 48 hours without a court order. On May 18, the gunman appeared in court for the first time. Although the exact contents and time that the perpetrator was in court are unknown, he was in the court building for about four hours. 

Authorities are still conducting investigations into the man and his intentions. Most notably, the question of how the assailant obtained a firearm is still unanswered. In Slovakia, gun control is a top priority of the government, and people must have special permission with a specific reason to gain access to a firearm. 

Fico is expected to recover and is in a stable condition. Although the operations helped significantly with Fico’s recovery, he is still not well enough to be transferred to a hospital in the Capital, Bratislava.

(Sources: CNN, CBS, NY Times)