Slovakia’s populist prime minister Robert Fico was rushed to hospital in a life-threatening condition after he was shot in the stomach in an assassination attempt.
Reports said that Mr Fico, 59, was injured after five shots were fired outside the House of Culture in the town of Handlova where the leader was meeting with supporters.
Deputy prime minister Tomas Taraba said the operation “went well” and added: “I guess in the end he will survive ... he’s not in a life-threatening situation at this moment.”
After being treated briefly at a local hospital, Mr Fico was airlifted to Banska Bystrica Hospital where he was seen being carried on a gurney.
The suspect, who is understood to be a 71-year-old former security guard, was detained at the scene with the attack believed to be politically motivated.
Peter Pellegrini, Slovakia’s president-elect and an ally of Mr Fico, has said that “an assassination attempt on the prime minister is a threat to everything that has adorned Slovak democracy so far.”
Mr Fico, a well-known ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin, is a divisive figure with Slovak politics, with the European Union Parliament elections due to take place in three weeks.
