Robert Fico, 59, was shot five times by a gunman while he greeted supporters in Handlova, north-east of Bratislava, following a Slovak government meeting yesterday.
Yesterday's attempted assassination of Slovakia 's Prime Minister has sparked fears that Europe may see another 'Franz Ferdinand' moment amid soaring political tensions and an ever-deepening East-West divide.
Despite being flanked by five guards, Cintula managed to fire off five shots at point-blank range before being taken down by the PM's security detail. Slovak Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok speaks during a press conference at F.D. Roosevelt University Hospital, where Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is being treated
'As far as I know, the operation went well and I guess that at the end he will survive,' he told the BBC. Mr Kalinak continued that 'no one wants a Slovakia like this' and he can't 'find the words' for the 'madness' that is being witnessed. Russian President Putin called the attach a 'heinous crime', adding: 'I know Robert Fico to be a courageous and strong-spirited man. I very much hope that these qualities will help him to withstand this difficult situation'.
A general view of the F. D. Roosevelt University Hospital where Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico is undergoing operationThe man accused of shooting PM Robert Fico is a writer, poet and founder member of a literary club, it emerged yesterday. A TV interview with Cintula from the time shows him with a black eye in the clip he said of his attacker:' He was drugged. He started throwing chickens from the shelves onto the ground, then he started juggling them.'
Police work at the scene after a shooting incident in which Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was wounded by five gun shots, police confirmedAn emergency services helicopter takes off from the F. D. Roosevelt University Hospital 'A number of migrants are flowing into Europe, there is hatred and extremism everywhere. But worst of all, the governments of European states have no alternative to this chaos. But that's what a person is after all.'He said in one clip: 'Every normal person rejects violence. Our goal is to unite people, preserve peace and restore democracy. It is very difficult because no one trusts anyone anymore. The world is full of chaos and hatred.
One person present at the shooting on Wednesday told Romania's Digi24: 'We went to shake hand to mister Fico, I was taking pictures of him when he walked out of the building, we were waiting for long time, we were excited, we wanted to shake his hand, even one man next to me, and at this moment we heard something like a petard, we thought someone made a joke and threw a firecracker on the ground, that was my first reaction,' she said.
Advertisement 'I heard three shots, it was quick one by one like if you throw a firecracker on the ground,' she added. The head of the liberal political party Progressive Slovakia, Michala Šimeček, said:' We unequivocally and strongly condemn any violence. We trust that Prime Minister Fico will be fine and that this terrible act will be brought to light as soon as possible.'
Deputy speaker of parliament Lubos Blaha confirmed the incident during a session of Parliament and adjourned it until further notice, the Slovak TASR news agency said.
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