Slovak Prime Minister Fico Shot, Hospitalised; Attacker Detained

In Slovakia, shots were fired after a government meeting in Handlove on Wednesday. According to Denník N, Prime Minister Robert Fico was wounded. He was taken to hospital. Later, the information about the assassination attempt was confirmed by the spokesman for the Ministry of the Interior, Matej Neumann.

Immediately after the shooting, the police subdued and detained the alleged attacker. The police cordoned off the area and evacuated the cultural centre. Security guards took care of the safety of other members of the government.

The operations centre confirmed that at half past three, they received a report of an injured man and a helicopter flew to the scene. The Prime Minister was taken by helicopter to Roosevelt Hospital in Banská Bystrica.

Denníka N reporter Daniel Vražda did not see the incident with his own eyes, but was nearby and heard several shots. He then saw the prime minister being lifted off the ground by bodyguards, loaded into a car and driven away.

 "I heard three or four shots. I saw Fico being lifted off the ground. The shooter was later arrested," journalist Daniel Vražda described the incident to Aktuality.sk. 

The detained attacker, whose identity is unknown, fired at the moment when the Prime Minister of Slovakia left the building where the government meeting was taking place. The attacker's motives are currently unknown.

If Robert Fico is ill for a long time, he will be replaced by one of the deputy prime ministers. The absence of the Prime Minister is partly addressed by the Law on Competence, which states that in such a case, he is represented by the Deputy Prime Minister, who is appointed by the Prime Minister. He or she convenes and chairs government meetings. There are currently four vice-presidents in the government.

According to several sources, the Prime Minister's life is not in danger. He was wounded in the abdomen, and apparently also injured in the arm and leg.

This is the first attack on a high-ranking politician in Slovakia's modern history.