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Hungarian politicians were shaken by yesterday’s news of the assassination attempt against the Slovak Prime Minister. “We pray for his health and quick recovery! God bless him and his country,” Viktor Orbán wrote on X.
The Hungarian Prime Minister wrote in his post: “I was deeply shocked by the heinous attack against my friend, Prime Minister Robert Fico.”
I was deeply shocked by the heinous attack against my friend, Prime Minister Robert Fico. We pray for his health and quick recovery! God bless him and his country!
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) May 15, 2024
Robert Fico was shot Wednesday afternoon in Handlová (Nyitrabánya), after a cabinet meeting. Following the attempted assassination, the staff managing the politician’s Facebook page wrote: “There was an assassination attempt on R. Fico today. He was shot multiple times and is currently in a life-threatening condition. At this moment he is being transported by helicopter to Banská Bystrica, because it would take too long to get to Bratislava, given the necessity of acute intervention. The next few hours will decide.”
The attacker was apprehended at the scene. According to press reports, the suspect is a 71-year-old man named Juraj Cintula. Ta3 obtained video footage of the suspect making no secret of his disagreement with the Fico government’s policies.
A press conference was held at around 8 p.m. last night, at which Defense Minister Robert Kaliňák stressed that Fico’s condition was “very complicated.” At the time, he said, the Prime Minister was still in surgery. On Thursday morning, Kaliňák announced that the head of government underwent a five-hour life-saving operation and his condition is stable but very serious. According to the hospital’s deputy director, the Prime Minister was operated on by two medical teams and remains in intensive care.
In a Facebook post, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó described the attack as shocking and appalling.
Who would have thought that such a brutal attack could happen in Central Europe?! We hope and pray for a speedy recovery. Robert Fico is much needed in Slovak and European politics,”
he wrote.
President Tamás Sulyok also shared his thoughts on X about the horrific news:
I am deeply shocked by the news of the assasination attempt against Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.
I strongly condemn this attack, and my thoughts and prayers are with him.
I wish him a full and speedy recovery.— Dr. Tamás Sulyok (@DrTamasSulyok) May 15, 2024
László Kövér, Speaker of the National Assembly, expressed his deep dismay on Wednesday evening. “I am deeply shocked and utterly appalled by the news of the brutal gun attack on Robert Fico,” he said in a statement. “On behalf of myself and the Hungarian Parliament, I would like to express my sincere condolences to the family and the Slovak nation in these difficult moments.” He added that he prays for the quick recovery of the Slovak Prime Minister.
The Hungarian minority party in Slovakia also strongly condemned the attack. “The Hungarian Alliance was shocked to learn of the assassination attempt on the Prime Minister. Violence and polarization are not the right way, as violence only leads to more violence. We deeply condemn all forms of violence and must fight against it together and unitedly. We wish Robert Fico a quick recovery,” the party wrote in a statement.
Speaking to hirado.hu, Krisztián Forró, president of the Hungarian Alliance, said that several times before he had warned that polarization was not the right way and where it could lead. He stressed that everyone should work to calm the mood. He therefore urged the political public to work to calm down their own camps.
The lesson to be learned is where stirring up controversy can lead,”
he emphasized.
Hirado.hu also asked the politician whether the narrative of the Western mainstream press, which referred to Fico as a populist, pro-Russian politician, was acceptable. “Unfortunately, this further fuels violence and polarization,” Forró replied.
Via MTI, hirado.hu, ma7.sk, Ta3; Featured image: Facebook/Robert Fico