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Slovakia Calls for Calm After PM Shot 05/16 06:05
BANSKA BYSTRICA, Slovakia (AP) -- Slovak politicians have called for calm in
the Central European country after Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot multiple
times by a would-be assassin on Wednesday, a rare instance of political
violence that prompted soul-searching among leaders in the deeply divided
society.
Fico was in serious but stable condition Thursday, a hospital official said,
after the populist leader was hit multiple times in an attempt on his life that
shook the small country and reverberated across the continent weeks before
European elections.
A suspect was in custody, and Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok said
Wednesday that an initial investigation found "a clear political motivation"
behind the attack on Fico while he was attending a government meeting in a
former coal mining town.
The minister did not specify what the motivation was. Fico has long been a
divisive figure in Slovakia and beyond, and his return to power last year on a
pro-Russian, anti-American message led to even greater worries among fellow
European Union members that he would abandon his country's pro-Western course.
The attempt on Fico's life came at a time of high division in Slovakia, as
thousands of demonstrators have repeatedly rallied in the capital and around
the country to protest his policies. It also comes just ahead of June elections
for the European Parliament.
Slovakia's outgoing and next presidents -- political rivals -- appeared
together in an appeal for Slovaks to overcome their increasingly tense
political differences for the good of the country.
Outgoing President Zuzana Caputova, an opponent of Fico, said Thursday that
the heads of the country's political parties would meet in an effort to bring
calm, saying the attack was a reflection of an increasingly polarized society.
"Let us step out of the vicious circle of hatred and mutual accusations,"
Caputova said at a news conference in the capital Bratislava. "What happened
yesterday was an individual act. But the tense atmosphere of hatred was our
collective work."
President-Elect Peter Pellegrini called on political parties to suspend or
scale back their campaigns for European elections, which will be held June 6-9,
to prevent "stand-offs and mutual accusations between politicians."
"If there is anything that the people of Slovakia urgently need today, it is
at least basic agreement and unity among the Slovak political representation.
And if not consensus, then please, at least civilized ways of discussing among
each other," Pelligrini said.
Fico's government, elected last September, has caused controversy by halting
arms deliveries to Ukraine, and has plans to amend the penal code to eliminate
a special anti-graft prosecutor and to take control of public media. His
critics worry that he will lead Slovakia -- a nation of 5.4 million that
belongs to NATO -- down a more autocratic path.
Zuzana Eliasova, a resident of the capital Bratislava, said the attack on
Fico was a "shock" to the nation and an attack on democracy at a time when
political tensions were already running high.
"I believe that a lot of people or even the whole society will look into
their conscience, because the polarization here has been huge among all
different parts of society," she said.
Doctors performed a five-hour operation on Fico, who was initially reported
to be in life-threatening condition, according to director of the F.D.
Roosevelt Hospital in Banska Bystrica, Miriam Lapunikova. He is being treated
in an intensive care unit.
Five shots were fired outside a cultural center in the town of Handlova,
nearly 140 kilometers (85 miles) northeast of the capital, government officials
said.
Slovakia's Security Council was set to meet in the capital of Bratislava on
Thursday to discuss the situation, a government office said, adding that a
cabinet meeting would follow.
Fico returned to power in Slovakia last year, having previously served twice
as prime minister. He and his Smer party have most often been described as
left-populist, though he has also been compared to politicians on the right
like the nationalist prime minister of neighboring Hungary, Viktor Orbn.
Fico's comeback caused concern among his critics that he and his party --
which had long been tainted by scandal -- would lead Slovakia away from the
Western mainstream. He promised a tough stance against migration and
non-governmental organizations and campaigned against LGBTQ+ rights.
Despite the controversy surrounding Fico's leadership, condemnation of the
attack came from both his allies and adversaries. On Wednesday, Russian
President Vladimir Putin sent a message to President Caputova, expressing his
support and wishing the prime minister a fast and full recovery.
"This atrocious crime cannot be justified," Putin said in the message
released by the Kremlin. "I know Robert Fico as a courageous and strong-willed
person. I truly hope these personal qualities will help him overcome this harsh
situation."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also denounced the violence against
a neighboring country's head of government.
"Every effort should be made to ensure that violence does not become the
norm in any country, form or sphere," he said.
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