Following the assassination attempt on Prime Minister Robert Fico, the ruling government is pinning the blame for the heinous and anti-democratic attempted murder on the opposition and dominant left-wing media.
“You have made us all targets,” said Ľuboš Blaha, the deputy speaker of the Slovak parliament, and a member of Fico’s Smér party, during a heated press conference. “You have spread a haunting hatred for years. You hated that people elected us so much that you went after us like wild animals. These are the fruits of your labor. The prime minister is fighting for his life because of you.”
He noted that “liberal media” had whipped up hatred of Fico related to his commitment to nationalist politics and his desire to end the war in Ukraine with a negotiated ceasefire.
The country’s interior minister, Matúš Šutaj Eštok, further noted that the constant media and opposition attacks on Fico helped fuel the climate that led to his attempted assassination, including the use of dehumanizing language.
“I am asking all of you to stop piling on the attacks and expressions of hatred that are directed at one political camp or another. From what was unleashed and many of you sowed, a storm arose today. And we are slowly standing on the threshold of civil war,” Minister Šutaj Eštok told journalists.
Fico was shot by a 61-year-old assailant in Handlová, central Slovakia, with the alleged far-left political activist and writer immediately arrested by the police. Slovak media reports that several gunshots hit Fico, who was operated on for a total of seven hours following life-threatening gunshot wounds.
The suspect, Juraj C., has been said to be a pro-Western liberal angered that Fico was shuttering one of his favorite television channels.
“The investigation is still ongoing. But I can openly say that this assassination was politically motivated and the perpetrator’s decision was made just after the presidential election,” said Interior Minister Šutaj Eštok, according to news outlet Irozhlas.
Other politicians also called for the hatred coming from the left to end now before it fueled more bloodshed.
“It’s hard to find words at this moment because Slovakia has never been confronted with this situation before. I call for us to stop this hatred,” said Deputy Prime Minister Robert Kaliňák.
While Fico was still lying on the operating table fighting for his life, the same Slovak media and opposition attempted to place the blame for the shooting on Fico himself.
“This type of politics practiced by Fico, ex-prime minister Igor Matovič, Andrej Danko, and Ľuboš Blaha has long been a prototype of hateful rhetoric. It’s a whole list of politicians who sowed hatred and used the lowest forms of personal attacks,” said sociologist and ex-prime minister Iveta Radičová, during a broadcast on Czech Radio Plus.
The government office reported that Fico was transported by helicopter to the hospital in Banská Bystrica, where he arrived at approximately 4:00 p.m.
The operation was reportedly successful, and there are reports that Fico is currently in stable condition. However, it is unclear what his prognosis is, what kind of permanent damage he may have suffered, and whether he will be able to perform his duties as prime minister at a later date.
