Slovak PM Fico in hospital after being shot

[BeyondGeography]

Source: BBC

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has been shot and wounded, according to local media reports.Mr Fico was shot in front of a cultural community centre in the town of Handlova, where a government meeting had been held, reports say.

Several shots were heard, according to journalists on the scene.
The Slovak leader has been taken to hospital and his alleged assailant detained by police.

Handlova is around 180km (112 miles) north-east of the capital Bratislava. A video showed several men rushing to detain the suspect just outside the cultural centre in Handlova. The BBC has not yet verified the footage.

…Mr Fico returned to power in Slovakia after elections last September, at the head of a populist-nationalist coalition.

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg6761ggxz1o.amp

[riversedge]

1. ⚡️WATCH: The first footage after the shootout in #Slovakia. Prime Minister #Fico is being seated in a car after the assa

Looks like NO ambulance.


⚡️WATCH: The first footage after the shootout in #Slovakia.

Prime Minister #Fico is being seated in a car after the assassination attempt.

Link to tweet

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. That police (or 'secret service' or whatever) car could get him to a hospital faster than an ambulance could arrive (nt)

[riversedge]

2. Folks on twitter do not like Fico.......

Lots of tweets like this.

Link to tweet

[brooklynite]

3. Condition reported as "life threatening"

Link to tweet

[Bernardo de La Paz]

5. Russia already invaded Ukraine, so this is not analogous to 110 years ago. . . . . nt

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. "Local media have said the suspect is a 71-year-old writer and political activist" - at updated link

Doesn't tell us much, but somehow you don't expect a 71 year old to resort to this.

[Torchlight]

13. You're right. I triple-read your post to make sure I wasn't seeing things.

I don't think anyone would guess his age the first time, or even within ten years of it.

From his age and nothing else, I'd guess this was a measured, calculated, long-debated act, regardless of motive.

[wolfie001]

7. Quick googling has produced some startling info on this RW leader

He's vehemently anti-gay. Calls it a "perversion" and he'll "never accept it". May have been tied to a journalist's assassination, is a very pro-Putin type. The assailant may have many memories of the brutal Soviet occupation.

[Warpy]

8. He's a polarizing figure, that's for sure

and Slovakia hasn't been free long enough to trust elections. My best guess says that had he not been shot, he'd have faced a no confidence vote sooner rather than later. Now he won't. Thanks a lot, gun toting asshole.

He has kept aid to Ukraine going. He might be a RW nutjob, but he does know what the real threat to the region is..

[orangecrush]

9. He is a Pro Putin pig

"Fico’s government, upon coming to power in September, immediately halted arms deliveries to Ukraine, prompting nationwide protests against its pro-Russian stance and several other policies."

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/5/15/ukraine-withdraws-troops-from-kharkiv-as-russia-pushes-deeper-into-region

[Happy Hoosier]

10. Gee, that's a shame....

... not that I'm advocating political violence against an elected leader. To be clear, I am not.

Also not shedding a tear that this Putin stooge might croak.

[orangecrush]

11. I hope Orban is paying attention

Apparently sucking up to Putin can be hazardous to your health.

[orangecrush]

12. Video

?si=gJ1uABCWMmR3LFLE

[BeyondGeography]

14. Thanks for posting

Great interview with MP Marcinkova. Tense times all around.

[orangecrush]

15. Most welcome

[muriel_volestrangler]

16. Deputy PM says condition is no longer "life threatening"

Robert Fico “is expected to survive” following surgery, his deputy prime minister Tomas Taraba said.

Taraba told the BBC Fico is is no longer in a life threatening situation.

He said: “Fortunately as far as I know the operation went well - and I guess in the end he will survive. he’s not in a life threatening situation at this moment.”

Taraba added: “He was heavily injured - one bullet went thought the stomach and the second one hit the joint - immediately he was transported to the hospital and then to the operation.”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/may/15/georgia-protest-foreign-agents-bill-demonstrations-tbilisi-latest-live-news?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-66451ff98f08350201111d98#block-66451ff98f08350201111d98

[blue-wave]

17. Just watched a recent

Warthog defense video with claims that the assailant has connections with a group loyal to Russia.