Security services have been put on red alert in Poland after the shooting of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and are ramping up protective measures for Polish politicians.
Security agencies are analyzing what happened and have reportedly asked the Slovak security services for full information on the assassination attempt.
According to Polish media sources, security is to be tightened not only around Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk but also the opposition leader Jarosław Kaczyński. However, there has been no official confirmation of such plans. A spokesperson for the State Protection Service (SPO) declined to comment on the matter, citing confidentiality.
“Of course, we analyze and draw conclusions, but we do not talk about them publicly,” Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak was quoted as saying by Wirtualna Polska news outlet.
Spokesmen from all Polish political parties have said that, especially in frontline EU states, parties will have to reassess the way they conduct their election campaigns. There are concerns, especially with regard to open meetings, which some political party leaders like to hold. Security at such meetings is likely to be tightened.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has revealed that he has been subjected to threats in the aftermath of the assassination attempt on Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico.
“There was a lot of it yesterday,” Tusk said in a post on the X social media platform illustrated with a screenshot of a comment, also posted on X, saying: “Today, Slovaks gave us an example of what should be done with Donald Tusk, if he fails with CPK“
An assassination attempt on the Slovak prime minister occurred on Wednesday afternoon in the town of Handlová, northeast of Bratislava. When Fico exited the cultural center to the crowd gathered after a government session, one man opened fire. The Slovak prime minister was hit by three bullets.
Robert Fico underwent a five-hour surgery at a hospital in Banska Bystrica. Doctors describe his condition as severe but stable. The attack was carried out by 71-year-old Juraj Cintula. It is known that he had legally owned the gun for 30 years.
During the interrogation, he confessed that he had planned the attack for several days. Proud of his actions, he stated that he wanted to harm but not kill the prime minister. His motive was opposition to the government’s policies and the changes it had implemented or was about to implement.
On Thursday morning, the 71-year-old was charged with premeditated attempted murder, facing a sentence ranging from 25 years to life imprisonment.
