BANSKA BYSTRICA, Slovakia — Slovakia's populist Prime Minister Robert Fico was gravely wounded Wednesday after being shot multiple times, but his deputy prime minister expressed optimism about his survival.
The assassination attempt occurred while the prime minister was greeting supporters at an event, sending shockwaves through the small country and echoing across Europe just weeks before an election.
"I believe he will pull through," Tomas Taraba told the BBC, reassuringly adding: "His condition is not life-threatening at the moment."
Medical personnel fought to save Fico's life for several hours following the attack on the 59-year-old pro-Russian leader, according to Defense Minister Robert Kalina, who briefed reporters at the hospital where Fico was admitted.
The shooting took place outside a cultural center in the town of Handlova, nearly 140 kilometers (85 miles) northeast of the capital, where Fico was attending a government meeting in the town of 16,000, once a hub of coal mining.
A suspect is in custody, and preliminary investigations suggest "a clear political motivation" behind the assassination attempt, stated Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok, speaking alongside the defense minister.
Fico's Controversial Stance Fico has long been a polarizing figure both domestically and internationally. His return to power last year, fueled by a pro-Russian, anti-American agenda, deepened concerns among European Union members about Slovakia's drift away from the Western mainstream.
Commencing his fourth term as prime minister, his government ceased arms shipments to Ukraine, sparking fears among critics that Slovakia, a NATO member with a population of 5.4 million, might veer away from its pro-Western trajectory and align more closely with Hungary under the leadership of populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Thousands have rallied repeatedly in the capital and across Slovakia to voice opposition to Fico's policies.
Attack Preceding European Parliament Elections A statement posted on Fico's Facebook account indicated that he was transported to a hospital in Banska Bystrica, located 29 kilometers (17 miles) from Handlova, due to the urgency of the situation, as reaching the capital, Bratislava, would have taken too long.