Slovakia’s poisonous politics and the path to Robert Fico’s shooting

As Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico recovers from surgery having being shot five times from close range, critics of the ruling party are worried the attack could be used to widen the political fautlines in a country that has been on edge for months.

Mr Fico’s condition is stable but “serious” according to hospital officials, while a suspect has been charged with attempted murder and could face life imprisonment.

Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok, in a statement on the shooter described the gunman as a “lone wolf” who is “not a member of any right-wing or left-wing radicalised party”.

But in the same breath he asked journalists to “reflect” on how they had covered Mr Fico’s policies, before insisting that the attack was politically motivated.

Mr Fico’s pro-Russia views – he has criticised previous government’s military support for Kyiv – have contributed to deep divisions in the small European country that borders Ukraine. After Mr Fico’s election victory last year, the new government immediately halted arms deliveries to Ukraine. Thousands repeatedly took to the streets across Slovakia to rally against Fico’s pro-Russian and other policies, including plans to amend the penal code to eliminate a special anti-graft prosecutor and to take control of public media.

Mr Fico’s return to power, he is a three-time prime minister, has caused concern among his critics that he and his party will lead Slovakia away from its pro-Western course. He vowed to pursue a “sovereign” foreign policy, promised a tough stance against migration and non-governmental organisations, and campaigned against LGBTQ+ rights. Last month, the government approved a proposal to abolish the public broadcaster and replace it with a new body, sparking outrage of opposition parties who say that the government will then have control of public radio and television.

After Mr Fico’s members of Mr Fico’s ruling Smer party, as well as more extreme figures from the far-right Slovak National Party (SNS), a member of the prime minister’s three-party coalition, have wasted no time suggesting the attack was the result of political tension.

Lubos Blaha, the deputy speaker of parliament from the Smer party, issued a direct address to opposition politicians and the media after the attack.

“This is your fault,” he said. “I want to express my deep disgust at what you have been doing here for the last few years. You, the liberal media, the political opposition, what kind of hatred did you spread towards Robert Fico? You built gallows for him.”

He later claimed, without providing evidence, that the suspect accused of shooting the PM had been at events run by the opposition PS. “We [ruling coalition MPs] are the biggest next targets,” he said.

Another deputy speaker, Andrej Danko from SNS, blamed the attempted assassination on independent media. “Are you happy now?” he asked. “I still can’t believe that someone in society would be willing to cross that line.”

He then referred to some journalists as “disgusting pigs” and said that his party saw the attack as the start of a political war. “I believe that with Robert Fico we’ll handle the situation, but there will be some changes here.”

Media freedom has been the subject of extensive discussion in Slovakia in recent weeks as Mr Fico’s government pushed the controversial proposal forward to replace the public broadcaster RTVS.

And journalists feared the populist prime minister’s crackdown on independent media outlets could worsen further after this attack.