#fico assassination attempt

[thoughtlessarse]

The 71-year-old man who attempted to assassinate Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico last week may not have acted as a so-called “lone wolf”, Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok (Hlas) reported, adding he was not the one who deleted the alleged shooters Facebook history hours after the attack. According to the new information from the new team set to investigate the assassination, the 71-year-old Slovak citizen who allegedly shot Fico on 15 May and has since been arrested had his Facebook and communication history deleted two hours after the incident. “However, it was not deleted by him and apparently not by his wife either,” said Šutaj Eštok at a press conference on Sunday afternoon, which was focused on the security situation in the country and was attended by several government representatives. “Based on this operational information, we are therefore also working with the possibility that a group of people is behind the assault,” Šutaj Eštok added. Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák (Smer-SD) said that it was possible that the attacker had communicated with someone in his circle about the assassination attempt, making it more plausible “that he did not act alone”. Pavol Gašpar, the deputy director in charge of Slovak Information Service (SIS), warned that the security situation in Slovakia is serious and is “not made any easier by the fact that foreign media are here, and Slovakia is in the centre of attention now”.

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They are going to milk this for all it's worth. It wouldn't surprise me if it was a rival from the same party that arranged the attempt.

[inexpressiblybeatiful]

His name is Robert Fico btw. And it happened in Slovakia too.

[slavicbee]

This whole situation with Fico is so bizzare to me. While I do not want him to die, he sort of put this on himself with the way he’s been putting blame on anybody but himself. And he had it coming, whether we like it or not.

No person in the Slovak politics is as divisive as he is. Some people blindly worship the ground he walks on, some people relentlessly criticise him, and some people downright hate his guts. True, I have my own grievances with him, and I’d rather not have him anywhere near the amount of power he has. But he does. And he’s been shot.

The repercussions of this are potentially very severe. His already unreasonably high animosity towards the freedom of speech will worsen and the coalition, which, let’s not lie to ourselves, is extremely conservative, corrupt and prone to power trips, can and already is blaming the press, the independent journalists, and the liberal opposition.

They do not see that no normal representative member of the opposition, which is already trying to do everything in its power to gain the trust of the conservative public, would stoop this low, and that a move like this could cost them any ounce of following they have. They do not care. They will say anything, do anything, to push their propaganda to make themselves the victims.

The attack on Fico is a symptom of a larger issue. The parliament had already crumbled under its own pressure before, back when Matovič was the PM. With a historical event like this, I can see it crumbling again, and harder. This government is such a mess that I cannot see it surviving in any productive, healthy way.

At least for the moment, the world is watching. It may not give a shit, we rarely make the international news as it is, but at least for this brief moment, the world has its eyes on us. The government needs to realize that Slovakia is not a closed circle, and that we are a part of a larger picture, and that we are responsible for our future, that they are inscribing themselves into history books, culturing this hostile environment in which the ordinary citizen has to live.

I already predicted that things will get much worse before they get better. I will not be surprised if this is just the beginning.

[head-post]

Slovak PM discharged from hospital

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who is recovering from injuries sustained in an assassination attempt this month, has been discharged from hospital to undergo treatment at home, Bloomberg reports.

Fico needs “physical and long-term rehabilitation,” the hospital in the central Slovak city of Banska Bystrica said in a statement posted on Facebook on Friday. He was moved to his home in the capital Bratislava.

The 59-year-old Slovak leader was shot four times at close range by an intruder on May 15 after a government meeting in Handlova, northeast of Bratislava. Police arrested the 71-year-old suspect at the scene, with authorities deeming it politically motivated – the first such assassination attempt on a European leader in more than two decades.

Meanwhile, the shooting sent shockwaves across Europe and heightened tensions in one of the region’s most politically polarised countries. Fico’s allies accused the opposition and the media of inciting hostility against the Slovak prime minister. The opposition in turn warned the government not to use the attack to deflect criticism.

Despite its popularity in Slovakia, Fico’s administration faces criticism for rewriting the penal code to weaken anti-corruption tools and seeking to take control of the country’s public television and radio.

The attacker was taken into custody pending trial and also charged with attempted murder. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison or life imprisonment. Read more HERE

[dailyworldecho]

[immaculatasknight]

Toward to Slovakia's Independence Day

[gwydionmisha]

Slovak PM Fico's attacker may not have acted alone, says minister

[plethoraworldatlas]

This is a developing story... Check back for possible updates...

Robert Fico, the right-wing prime minister of Slovakia who has aligned himself with Hungarian authoritarian leader Viktor Orbán and Russian President Vladimir Putin, was in "life-threatening condition" Wednesday after being shot "multiple" times in what the government called an assassination attempt.

Fico was shot in the town of Handlova after attending a government meeting and greeting supporters.

Slovakian outlet Aktualityreported Fico had two gunshot wounds in his arm and one in his abdomen.

Fico was first elected prime minister in 2006, and has faced corruption allegations during his political career. He resigned in 2018 during mass protests over the killing of an investigative journalist who was conducting a government probe, and was again elected last September.

The prime minister has opposed mainstream European Union policies and sending military aid to Ukraine, and Slovakia became the first country to halt such aid in October after Fico took office.

[hicginewsagency]

Slovakia's PM Robert Fico survived death,  after assassination attempt.

                        Updated by sserwadda Ronald Robert fico (left) Slovak’s Prime Minister   being dragged by security personnel to his car after being shot in an assassination attempt in the town of Handlova. Courtesy image Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico suffered life-threatening injuries when he was shot and wounded in an attempted assassination on Wednesday, the government office…

[purplepink-blueberry]

More update, very fast bc i am in school, but Fico’s condition is “very serious but stable”

Right now, the discourse is… well, NGOs and the opposition is calling for calm and investigation of the crime. There was supposed to be a protest taking place yesterday afternoon (bc the governmental shenanigans concerning media) but they cancelled it because of the attempted assassination.

Some people from the coalition are already expressing that the NGOs, progressives and journalists are at fault and some even call for dissolution of some parties but those are (hopefully) fringe extremists and they won’t actually dissolve the parties

Anyway, later I will hopefully be able to write a proper fun analysis of what might happen, how the discourse will change and what would have happened had the assassination been more successful (by either killing Fico or putting him in a coma)

soooo our PM just got shot by just, i mean... they reported it an hour and half ago?

it is very chaotic. he is both okay and dying (well, some media reported he was not in the risk of dying and then the governmental office said he was very much in the risk of death so idk who to believe).

interesting fact is that it is he who was scaring us with a possible assassination attempt at our almost-president (elected to become a president, not yet sworn in)

What is also interesting is the way people reacted. the opposition is mostly saying "oh no how terrible violence bad we hope the PM makes it" while the coalition is blaming the opposition and journalists.

i think that says something about the state of our politics and also freedom of press

anyway, our constitution doesn't say what's supposed to happen if the PM dies. and denník n (one of the most reliable sources in slovakia) said that if the PM is incapacitated for a long period of time, they are supposed to appoint someone from the ministers to act in their stead. idk how that works if the PM can't appoint anyone due to circumstances that might occur, such as coma or death though, that is quite unprecedented

anyway those are my two eurocents on this as a political science student who should really be actually studying but instead, i read the news, the constitution and then write this

[mariacallous]

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the only EU leader to openly back Donald Trump in his bid to reclaim the White House, was unsurprisingly among the first to congratulate the former president on Wednesday morning, even before the final results were in and rival Kamala Harris had conceded.

“The biggest comeback in US political history! Congratulations to President @realDonaldTrump on his enormous win. A much needed victory for the World!” Orban rejoiced on X (formerly Twitter).

Orban, who will be hosting European leaders in Budapest later this week, was swiftly joined by other illiberal leaders and fellow populists in Central and Southeast Europe, likewise unable to contain their glee at the return of Trump, who by midmorning Europe time had gained 266 electoral votes — just four shy from the 270 he needs to be elected the 47th US president.

Another close ally of Trump in Central Europe, Polish President Andrzej Duda, who met the former president in New York earlier this year, posted excitedly, complete with emojis: “Congratulations, Mr. President @realDonaldTrump! You made it happen! 👏👏👏🇵🇱🤝🇺🇸”.

In the Czech Republic, the former prime minister and Trump admirer Andrej Babis posted on X: “Sensational comeback @realDonaldTrump! He wasn’t stopped by an assassination attempt, nor by politically motivated lawsuits, nor by a systematic smear campaign in the media. American citizens have made it clear who they want as US President. I am confident that his victory will bring prosperity to the United States and peace to the world.”

More subdued comments came from Prime Minister Petr Fiala, who Babis is looking to oust in 2025, also on X: “Congratulations to Donald Trump on winning the presidential election. Our shared goal is to ensure that the relations between our countries remain at the highest level, despite changes in administration, and that we continue to develop them for the benefit of our citizens.”

Populist Slovak prime minister, Robert Fico, is currently on a state visit to China, though his ally, President Peter Pellegrini, offered his congratulations to Donald Trump on X. “I wish you and the American people all the success. Slovakia remains to be a strong and reliable Ally on NATO’s tested Eastern Flank living up to our shared commitments. I sincerely wish for a continuation of our good cooperation. Let’s make the transatlantic bond great again.”

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who visited the White House during Trump’s first term in office that ended in 2020, welcomed Trump’s win on X. “Congratulations to Donald Trump on his victory. Together we face the serious challenges ahead. Serbia is committed to cooperation with the USA on stability, prosperity and peace,” Vucic wrote.

Turkey’s strongman leader, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said he wanted to congratulate his “great friend” Trump on his victory.

“In this new period that will begin with the election of the American people, I hope that Turkey-US relations will strengthen, that regional and global crises and wars, especially the Palestinian issue and the Russia-Ukraine war, will come to an end; I believe that more efforts will be made for a more just world,” Erdogan wrote on X.

The first to hail Trump’s win from Bosnia and Herzegovina was, unsurprisingly, the president of the Serb-dominated Republika Srpska entity, Milorad Dodik. “One of [the] most important electoral wins in recent history of the USA but the World as well! Congratulations, Donald Trump, 47th President of the United States of America!” Dodik wrote on his official X profile.

Late last year Dodik said that a victory for Trump would mean a “better geopolitical situation for Republika Srpska”, claiming that he regretted not declaring his entity’s independence from Bosnia and Herzegovina during Trump’s 2016-2020 presidency.

North Macedonia’s conservative prime minister, Hristijan Mickoski, sent his “heartfelt congratulations” to Trump on Wednesday morning. “This victory is a confirmation of the deep faith of the American people in the principles of freedom and democracy,” Mickoski, whose conservative, right-wing government came to power earlier this year, wrote on Facebook.

Mickoski and his cabinet are not among European leaders who fear a second Trump term could wreak havoc with transatlantic and international relations. His ruling VMRO-DPMNE party nurtures close ties with one of the biggest Trump endorsers on the continent, Hungary’s Orban, and over the summer Mickoski’s series of meetings with close Trump associates made his preference even more obvious.

���We look forward to further deepening our strong partnership and cooperation,” Mickoski added.

Warm words from the Balkans

The president of Montenegro, Jakov Milatovic, congratulated Trump on his victory. “Montenegro and the USA are friends and steadfast partners, united by shared goals and values, focused on advancing democracy, security, stability, and freedom. As NATO allies, we look forward to working very closely with Your administration on strengthening our friendship and deepening cooperation,” Milatovic wrote on X.

Montenegro’s first congratulatory message came earlier from the president of the parliament and leader of the pro-Serbian NOVA party Andrija Mandic. “I am sure that together we will build bridges of cooperation and preserve peace and stability in the Western Balkans,” Mandic wrote on X.

From Kosovo, which has deep ties with the US since the 1998-99 war, President Vjosa Osmani also congratulated Trump on his White House comeback.

“The US remains Kosovo’s steadfast partner and indispensable ally. I look forward to working with the new administration to further deepen our unique bond and strategic alliance,” Osmani said on X.

A similar message came from Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic. “Congratulations on a convincing victory and a second presidential term,” Plenkovic wrote on X. “I look forward to our cooperation and further progress in Croatian-American relations.”

Plenkovic’s domestic political rival, President Zoran Milanovic, hailed “the will of the majority of voters” in choosing Trump. He wrote on Facebook: “Since Croatian independence, the USA has been a partner and friend, I am convinced that this will remain the choice of the new president”.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama was also effusive in his congratulations: “I look forward to the great privilege of working with the 47th President to further enhance our partnership for peace, prosperity and further progress,” Rama wrote on X.

In Bulgaria, Boyko Borissov, leader of recent election-winners GERB and former prime minister, posted a photo of himself with Trump on social media, saying: “I’m ready for us to work together, again!”

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev also congratulated the Republican victor: “I am confident that our effective dialogue at the highest level will continue in the interest of the strategic partnership between Bulgaria and the USA,” Radev said.

Opposition party We Continue the Change’s Kiril Petkov described Trump’s comeback as US president as “a serious achievement”, while noting: “Of course, Bulgaria’s fate depends first and foremost on the will of the Bulgarians, but good cooperation with the US is crucial in the positioning of our country amid the changing geopolitical reality.”

In Greece, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis added his voice to the congratulatory messages from countries across the region. “Greece looks forward to further deepening the strategic partnership between our two countries and working together on important regional and global issues,” Mitsotakis wrote on X.

[vomitdodger]

[slavicbee]

The Assassination Attempt On Robert Fico, The Slovak Prime Minister

There is a lot of information going around in the media, since the situation is unfolding. I will attempt to cover the most important details for those who are interested.

Firstly, here is an English article (from BBC) so that you can read more about what unfolded. According to this article, at least three shots could be heard. Robert Fico, the PM, was wounded in the chest area, grabbed by his three security guards and escorted into his car. He was transported to the hospital via a helicopter.

The Attempt happened after a congress meeting in the city of Handlová roughly around 4PM local time. You may read more about the congress here: (Aktuality.sk)

Zuzana Čaputová, Peter Pellegrini, Petr Pavel, Andrej Danko, Juraj Blanár, Michal Šimečka, Igor Matovič, and some other factions, have already given their statement condemning the attack. (Aktuality.sk) Also, here is Petr Fiala and here is Olav Scholz, and here are the Polish political leaders.

Also, Andrej Danko, the vice minister of the Slovak Parliament, is currently blaming the Slovak liberal opposition. (Aktuality.sk) Additionally, the coalition as a whole blames the media and polarised population as a potential reason why this took place.

He is currently in a potentially life-threatening condition.

This article (Aktuality.sk) provides some pictures from around the time of the attempt. This article (Aktuality.sk) provides some video footage. View at your own discretion.

The police suspects a 71-year old man from the city of Levice, who was in legal possession of a firearm. (Aktuality.sk)

I will try to update when I get my hands on some more English sources.

[cynicalclassicist]

We ultimately just don't know. Conspiracy theories will be flying round and certain people want them to fly around. It may even be a smaller-planned affair then we think. After all, some of the most famous assassinations on heads of government were probably much smaller planned affairs then often presented as.

Anything thoughts on the recent attack on Fico? I'm worried that this will undermine European unity on Ukraine even more.

No question that Russia and Fico's fellow Russian butt-boy Orban are going to declare that the attack was facilitated in some part by Ukraine. Europe should be on the alert and look to pre-empt disinformation operations.

I don't support assassination, but I'm also not going to pretend Fico isn't a dirtbag who almost certainly helped facilitate Russian deepfakes to win the election past September. He should be in jail and Europe should have interpreted that as a hostile actor.

Thanks for the question, Fang.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[head-post]

Robert Fico forgave his shooter

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico forgave his would-be assassin in his first public statement, according to bne IntelliNews.

Fico also condemned the opposition, media, non-governmental organisations, and the EU. He signalled that the period of trying to reconcile the deeply divided country after the shooting was over.

It is time to make the first move and that is forgiveness.

The Prime Minister published a video on his Facebook social media page. He stated that “I feel no hatred towards the stranger who shot me” and that “I will not take any legal action against him.” Fico also called the 71-year-old shooter, detained at the scene of the May 15 shooting in the town of Handlova, an “opposition activist.”

It is evident that he was only a messenger of evil and political hatred which the politically unsuccessful and frustrated opposition developed in Slovakia to unmanageable proportions.

He also stated that he suspected the attack was imminent. There would be “more victims,” he warned.

I had no intelligence reports, but my experience after 32 years in politics warned me.

Slovak Republic is increasingly delving into conspiracy theories amid growing disinformation around COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine. Fico stated that the EU and NATO believed that the war in Ukraine “must continue at any cost in order to weaken the Russian Federation.”

Read more HERE