‘Going crazy’: Suspect in Slovak leader shooting named as elderly writer

The “despicable” suspect in a horrific caught-on-video assassination attempt on a European prime minister has been named.

The “despicable” suspect in a horrific caught-on-video assassination attempt on a European prime minister has been named as an elderly writer who campaigned against “violence” and warned the world was “going crazy”.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, 59, was left fighting for his life in hospital after being shot multiple times in a “politically motivated” assassination attempt on Wednesday, local time.

Horrifying footage captured the shooting, which occurred after he had just left a cabinet meeting and was greeting members of the public in the central town of Handlova, 200 kilometres northeast of Slovakia’s capital Bratislava.

Dramatic footage showed Mr Fico, who is considered to be pro-Kremlin, being carried and then bundled into a car, flanked by his bodyguards, and driven away at speed.

A grey-haired suspect was seen being handcuffed on the ground just after the shooting.

After local media identified the man, Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok confirmed the alleged shooter was a 71-year-old writer from the centre of the European nation.

“I think I can confirm this, yes,” Mr Estok said when asked about reports.

Media reports said the suspect was a founder of the DUHA (Rainbow) Literary Club and was from the town of Levice.

The reports, which also named him, said he has written three poetry collections and is a member of the official Association of Slovak Writers.

The alleged shooter has been named by local media as a 71-year-old writer. Picture: Supplied

The association confirmed on Facebook that the man had been a member since 2015, adding that if his identity as the suspected shooter was confirmed “the membership of this despicable person will be immediately cancelled”.

The suspect’s son told Slovak news site aktuality.sk that he had “absolutely no idea what father was thinking, what he was planning, why it happened”.

He said his father was a legally registered gun owner.

When asked if he felt any hatred toward Mr Fico, the son said, “I’ll tell you this — he didn’t vote for him. That’s all I can say about it.”

Local news channel TV JOJ reported the man’s wife was seen covering her face with newspapers as she was taken in for questioning by police.

Vlasta Kollarova, head of a local library in the man’s hometown, told the Dennik N newspaper, “He was rebellious when he was young, but not aggressive.”

Several political statements by the man could be found on social media.

“The world is full of violence and weapons. People seem to be going crazy,” he said in a video eight years ago posted online.

In the video, he also spoke about concern over immigration and “hatred and extremism” and said European governments “have no alternative to this chaos”.

He also said in the video that he had founded a “Movement Against Violence” in Levice.

The movement, which also has its Facebook page, defines itself as “an emerging political party whose goal is to prevent the spread of violence in society ... to prevent war in Europe and the spread of hatred”.

Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico who an man attempted to assonate on Wednesday, 15 May. Picture: Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP

‘He will survive’

Deputy Prime Minister Tomáš Taraba says he believes Mr Fico will survive and is “not in a life-threatening situation at this moment”.

Speaking to the BBC overnight, Mr Taraba said the PM was “heavily injured”.

“Fortunately, as far as I know, the operation went well and I guess in the end he will survive,” he said.

“Immediately he was transported to the hospital and then to the operation.”

At least one bullet struck Mr Fico in his stomach, with others in the arm and leg, according to officials. His injuries were earlier described as “life threatening”.

In a press conference at 4am AEST, Robert Kaliňák, Slovakia’s Defence Minister, said Mr Fico was “still fighting for his life” as he underwent emergency surgery.

Mr Kaliňák described the PM’s condition as “really serious”, adding that the “situation is bad”.

He blamed rising hate speech and division for the atmosphere in the country that led to the attack, saying there was “no question that this was politically motivated”.

“This needs to stop immediately,” he said.

“I beg you, please. Hate is not an answer to hate … The inability to accept the choice of people, which some may not like … it leads to this.”

Mr Fico is a controversial figure whose party recently won the Slovakian election. He is warm to Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as Hungary’s PM Victor Orban, who has been accused of taking the neighbouring country in an authoritarian direction. He has also axed any military aid to Ukraine.

Nonetheless, political figures from all sides of politics have condemned the apparent assassination attempt of a democratically elected leader.

Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico being bundled into a car after being shot. Picture: RTVS / AFP)

The pro-Kremlin PM was shot ‘multiple times’. Picture: AFP

Mr Estok said the assassination attempt was politically motivated and the decision was “born right after the presidential election”.

A witness told Dennik N that she heard three to four shots and saw Mr Fico fall to the ground.

Outgoing Slovak President Zuzana Caputova told reporters that “police have detained the attacker”.

“I am shocked, we are all shocked by the terrible and heinous attack,” she added.

Slovak television showed footage of a middle-aged man in jeans being handcuffed on the ground.

“Today, after the government meeting in Handlova, there was an assassination attempt [on Mr Fico],” the government said in a post on social media.

“He is currently being transported by helicopter to Banska Bystrica (east of Handlova) in a life-threatening condition, because it would take too long to get to Bratislava due to the necessity of an acute intervention.”

Security personnel apprehending the suspected gunman. Picture: RTVS/AFP

“Mr Fico was brought into our hospital and he was treated at our vascular surgery clinic,” Handlova hospital director Marta Eckhardtova told AFP.

Minister Eštok said the country is “experiencing the worst day of its democracy”.

“For the first time in the 31 years of our democratic sovereign republic, someone has decided to express a political opinion not in an election but with a gun on the street,” he wrote on his Facebook page.

“It is a terrible disappointment for me personally, how our joint effort to belong to the civilised world of the most advanced countries went in vain.”

Analyst Grigorij Meseznikov told AFP “there has been no [previous] attack on any minister or prime minister in Slovakia”.

“I only remember the case of former Minister of Economy Jan Ducky who was shot dead in 1999,” he added. “But he had not been politically active anymore when he was killed.”

Slovak President Zuzana Caputova with Robert Fico on October 2, 2023. Picture: Vladimir Simicek/AFP

‘Horrific act’

European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen denounced the “vile attack” while NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said he was “shocked and appalled”.

Leaders from around the world’s including US President Joe Biden, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky and Mr Putin have all commented.

Mr Biden described the attack as a “horrific act of violence” and said the US embassy is in “close touch” with the Slovakian government and is “ready to assist”.

Mr Putin said there “can be no justification for this monstrous crime” and, in a telegram to Ms Caputova, said Mr Fico was “a courageous and strong-minded man”.

Mr Zelensky said, “We strongly condemn this act of violence against our neighbouring partner state’s head of government. Every effort should be made to ensure that violence does not become the norm in any country, form, or sphere.”

Posting on X, French president Emmanuel Macron said he “strongly condemns” the attack on Mr Fico and said his “thoughts and solidarity are with him, his family and the people of Slovakia”.

The suspect was apprehended at the scene. Picture: AFP

Mr Fico has previously drawn criticism from the West for his increasingly pro-Russian views which have seen him at odds with those of fellow NATO-member countries.

The populist leader, whose Smer-SD party won the general election last September, is a four-time Prime Minister and a political veteran.

As well as his current stint as premier, Mr Fico headed the government in 2006-10 and 2012-18.

He was forced to resign in 2018 after an investigative journalist’s murder exposed high-level corruption and sparked anti-government sentiment.

But he came back again.

Since returning to office last October, Mr Fico has made a string of remarks that have soured ties between Slovakia and neighbouring Ukraine.

He has questioned Ukraine’s sovereignty and called for a compromise with Russia, which invaded in 2022.

After he was elected, Slovakia stopped sending weapons to Ukraine. He pledged during the electoral campaign not to provide Kyiv with “a single bullet”.

He also sparked mass protests with controversial changes, including a media law that critics say will undermine the impartiality of public television and radio.

At a press conference following the shooting, MP Lubos Blaha from Mr Fico’s party lashed out against the Prime Minister’s critics.

“You, the liberal media, and progressive politicians are to blame,” Mr Blaha said. “Robert Fico is fighting for his life because of your hatred.”

Originally published as ‘Going crazy’: Suspect in Slovak leader shooting named as elderly writer