Robert Fico, the populist prime minister of Slovakia, was shot several times in an assassination attempt Wednesday that left him in “life-threatening condition,” officials say. On Tuesday afternoon, the 59-year-old politician was reportedly conscious and in stable condition following surgery.
Fico was meeting with supporters in the central Slovak town of Handlova when he was attacked, according to local media reports. A post on Fico’s official Facebook page suggested he may not survive his injuries. “The next few hours will decide,” the post read.
The update also said he was being transported by helicopter to the city of Banská Bystrica instead of the capital, Bratislava, “due to the necessity of an acute procedure.”
