Europe on the edge: Assassination attempt on pro-Putin Slovakian PM is branded ‘a wake-up call to the West’ amid fears Russian President will exploit the attack – as wounded premier’s deputy insists he will survive the shooting

By William On May 15, 2024

Slovakia’s pro-Putin prime minister was recovering in hospital last night after being shot in an assassination attempt that set off alarm bells across Europe.

Robert Fico was called forward to meet a crowd of supporters before a gunman leaned in and fired five times at close range, sending the divisive politician sprawled to the ground.

Bodyguards rushed the would-be killer as Mr Fico was carried into a government limousine, which sped away before being airlifted to hospital.

His condition was critical, but Slovak Deputy Prime Minister Tomas Taraba told the BBC that “the operation went well” and added that he was confident “he will survive.”

Police said they had arrested 71-year-old poet Juraj Cintula on suspicion of the shooting in Handlova, central Slovakia.

Image depicting the day’s events after the shooting of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico

Robert Fico was called forward to meet a crowd of supporters before a gunman leaned in and fired five times at close range, sending the divisive politician sprawling to the ground.

Bodyguards rushed the would-be killer as Mr Fico was carried into a government limousine, which sped away before being airlifted to hospital.

Vladimir Putin last night described the attack as a “monstrous crime” and there are fears he will now seize on the attempted assassination of his populist friend, who has strongly argued against supporting Ukraine. It comes as:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky canceled trips abroad as Russia advanced on the country’s second city, Kharkov;

Tens of thousands took to the streets again in Georgia after the ‘pro-Russian’ government forced ‘Kremlin-inspired’ legislation;

The alleged gunman made a “confession” while in custody blaming Mr. Fico’s crackdown on the free media for the attack;

World leaders, including Joe Biden, quickly condemned the shooting.

Russian President Putin – who arrived in Beijing last night for a state visit – said: “I know Robert Fico as a courageous and energetic man. I sincerely hope that these qualities will help him to cope with this difficult situation.’

The 71-year-old poet Juraj Cintula is said to be the shooter

His condition was critical after the operation last night, when police said they had arrested 71-year-old poet Juraj Cintula on suspicion of the shooting in Handlova, central Slovakia.

Last night Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a former commanding officer of the 1st Royal Tank Regiment, Britain’s chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense unit, told The Mail: ‘There are big stakes at stake in Europe and the threat of a wider war only benefits Putin.

Populist anti-vaxxer who supports Putin

Robert Fico was in his third term as Prime Minister of Slovakia.

He won his first elections in 2006 in a landslide, just two years after the country joined the EU. Born into a working-class family, Mr. Fico trained as a lawyer and served as Slovakia’s representative at the European Court of Human Rights.

He won elections again in 2012 and 2016, but was forced to resign two years later due to mass protests after an investigative journalist was murdered along with his fiancée.

Mr Fico began his third term as prime minister last October, heading a populist-nationalist coalition.

Critics claim he has abandoned Slovakia’s pro-Western course. Thousands of people have protested across the country and spoken out against his policies. He has also faced allegations of corruption.

He is strongly opposed to immigration and has criticized gay marriage. He became the country’s most prominent voice against masks, lockdowns and vaccinations during the Covid pandemic. He is also an admirer of Vladimir Putin and has vowed not to support Ukraine.

‘This is yet another wake-up call for the West. “If we ignore this latest threat to Western security, the chances of becoming involved in a wider war in Europe are clearly greater.”

Witnesses said Mr Fico responded to a supporter who shouted “Robo, come over” and went to shake their hands after leaving a Slovak government meeting shortly after 3pm. Harrowing footage then shows the alleged gunman looking to both sides before lunging forward with a gun in his right arm and shooting the 59-year-old prime minister.

A shocked bystander said: ‘I was just about to shake his hand, when the shots rang out I almost went deaf.’

Local journalists interviewed the suspect’s son, who witnessed the attack and was in shock. “I have no idea what Dad was up to, what he was up to and why it happened,” he said.

The son said Cintula had no mental health problems and had never spoken about killing a politician. However, the alleged shooter’s background last night raised further questions. Photos showed that he had ties to the pro-Russian militia Slovenskí Branci.

Mr Fico was shot in the arm and stomach and his injuries were so serious that there was no time to transfer him to the capital Bratislava.

Slovak Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok confirmed that he was conscious last night after major surgery, but had suffered “severe body trauma.”

Mr Estok warned that police would “crack down” on anyone supporting the killing online, while also promising a massive cut in security.

Mr. Fico denounces immigration and LGBT issues and is unrelenting in his support of Russia in its war against Ukraine.

He has reversed the previous Slovak government’s position on the conflict in Ukraine and called for an end to military aid to Kiev.

The prime minister was airlifted to a nearby hospital after suffering gunshot wounds to his arm and stomach

He has also become a close ally of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, another NATO and European Union decliner.

Resigned from office, the murdered prime ministers of Europe

The last European leader to be assassinated was Zoran Dindic, the Prime Minister of Serbia.

He was shot in Belgrade in March 2003 as he entered the headquarters of the Serbian government and died almost immediately.

In February 1986, Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was shot while walking home from the cinema with his wife Lisabeth Palme.

Luis Carrero Blanco, the Prime Minister of Spain, was killed in a bomb attack in Madrid five days before Christmas in 1973. He had only been Prime Minister for six months.

Spencer Perceval is the only British Prime Minister who was assassinated in the lobby of the House of Commons on May 11, 1812.

Last night, given his opposition to the conflict in neighboring Ukraine, there was speculation online that the shooting might have been ordered by Kiev.

The leader of Slovakia’s pro-European and pro-Nato opposition party was forced to publicly deny that he had anything to do with the assassination attempt. Fico has also provoked anger with his left-wing Direction party’s plans to give the government full control of public radio and TV. The alleged gunman made a ‘confession’ in custody blaming this crackdown for the alleged assassination attempt.

Russia is expected to try to politicize the shooting by suggesting that politicians in EU and NATO states who dare to challenge the orthodoxy around support for Ukraine are no longer safe.

Former House of Commons defense committee chairman Tobias Ellwood said: ‘With Slovakia increasingly threatened by Russia’s influence, this tragic incident could easily be used as a justification for introducing similar draconian restrictions as we are now seeing in Hungary and White -See Russia.’

Western countries condemned the attack on Fico. US President Joe Biden called it a ‘heinous act of violence’.

President Zelensky added: “We strongly condemn this act of violence against the head of the government of our neighboring partner state.” Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said: “Such acts of violence have no place in our society and undermine democracy.”