Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico is stable but his condition remains “very serious”, his deputy has said, after an assassination attempt that shocked the entire world.
Fico, 59, was shot five times after leaving a government meeting. He was in critical condition and underwent several hours of emergency surgery.
Though he was stabilized during the night, his condition remains complicated. He is to remain in intensive care.
Later on Thursday, President-elect Peter Pellegrini, who won election in April, said he had spoken with Fico.
“He is able to speak but only a few sentences and then he is really tired because he is on some medication,” he told reporters.
The m attacker, a 71-year-old writer and former security guard, has been charged with attempted murder, said Al Jazeera’s Natacha Butler, reporting from Bankska Bystrica.
Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok told a news conference that the suspect had acted alone and had previously taken part in anti-government protests.
The country of 5.4 million has seen polarised political debate in recent years, including last year’s presidential election that helped Fico tighten his grip on power, says Al Jazeera.
