EU leaders condemn ‘cowardly’ shooting of Slovakian PM amid rise in attacks
GuardianMay 15
Slovakian PM Fico Shot, in Stable Condition
Image copyright: Zuzana Gogova/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Following an attempt on his life by a gunman Wednesday, Slovakian Prime Minister (PM) Robert Fico is expected to survive, said Deputy PM Tomáš Taraba on Thursday. The news follows Fico's surgery, which Taraba said went "well."
After exiting a government meeting in the town of Handlova, Fico was shot multiple times and seriously wounded as he greeted a crowd of people. He was airlifted to the regional capital, Banska Bystrica, for treatment.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
This horrifying news is part of a growing trend of political violence across the European political spectrum. From the shooting of the founder of Spain's right-wing Vox Party to the physical harassment of a German Green Party member, the intensifying social division is now playing out before our eyes. Extremist ideologies of all sorts must be quelled, or else more violence will occur.
Establishment-critical narrative
The incessant attacks on Fico, from EU officials making political threats to today's shooting, are coming from those who are against the prime minister due to his desire to break away from the West's stronghold and maintain peace with Russia. Many of those opposed to EU- and NATO-skeptics like Fico have fostered an environment that allowed this act of violence to unfold.