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Video shows moment Slovak Prime Minister shot multiple times by 71-year-old gunman | BBC News

  • May 15, 2024



Video shows moment Slovak Prime Minister shot multiple times by 71-year-old gunman | BBC News

Slovakia’s prime minister Robert fito is said to be fighting for his life after being shot multiple times in an assassination attempt Mr fito had been attending a government meeting as he spoke to crowds afterwards he was shot five times before being bundled into a car by security Personnel he’s been in surgery for three and a half hours the suspect has been detained by police and Slovak ministers have said the attack was politically motivated it took place in the central Slovakia town of Handler over Slovakia borders Ukraine and Mr fito has been a divisive figure considered by some as authoritarian and Russia leaning well tonight we’ll hear from our Europe editor Kata Adler in Brussels on the significance of this attack on a European leader but First Bethany Bell is in Slovakia for us now Bethany there’s a real sense of confusion and shock here in Slovakia the Slovak president has urged Ed people to wait for the results of the police investigation and not make what she called quick judgments but many people here are worried that these shootings will deepen the divisions in an already deeply polarized country this was the moment a European leader was shot as he greeted members of the public in front of a local community center Robert fito was shot in the stomach and in the arm his security team half dragged half carried him to his car a few meters away amidst the chaos security officials push a man to the ground the suspect is believed to be in his 70s Witnesses say he shot at the Prime Minister several times I heard three shots it was quick one by one like if you throw firecrackers on the ground I saw a scratch on the prime minister’s head and then he fell next to the barrier it’s a nightmare the 59-year-old was flown by helicopter to hospital where he had emergency surgery officials said his condition was critical a few hours later a somber president address the nation some I’m shocked we are all Ed by the terrible and vicious attack on prime minister Robert fitso a physical attack on the prime minister is first of all an attack on a person but it is also an attack on Democracy hateful rethoric which we can see in society leads to hateful actions please stop it Robert fitza seen here before the attack is regarded as a divisive figure a populist who’s accused of being authoritarian and too close to [Music] Russia the attack has been widely condemned by all sides in Slovakia the attack on the prime minister is terrible uncivilized and brutal pure evil this should provoke just one reaction unite all Society against evil hate and violence the suspect is now in police custody the author ities are searching for a motive Bethany Bell BBC News Bratislava let’s go straight to our Europe editor Katya Adler who’s in Brussels for us in a shocking attack Kya and as Bethany was saying inevitably much speculation as to the motive yeah alarming is how Joe Biden put it this afternoon uh and of course a lot of speculation um as you say about what might have happened and sadly it’s symptomatic reder I rer I think in these divisive times that we live in in the increase of threats and attacks against politicians we know this in the UK in recent weeks there’s been a string of assaults on German politicians as well but Slovakia this is this small EU country in Central Europe it’s not used to being uh in the spotlight but it has been coming under increasing International attention of late for two main reasons one because as we’ve been hearing Robert fito is a deeply controversial politician in a deeply divided Society in the last weeks thousands of people took to the streets to protest against his policies and we’ve heard that the interior Ministry has blamed the attack today on political motivation and there is video right now in the media in Slovakia uh of the alleged uh shooter which appears to back up that claim the other re reason that Slovakia has been coming under attention as well is because Europe has war on the continent again Ukraine is fighting for its existence Slovakia borders Ukraine but Brussels is very worried about the direction it fears that Robert fito is taking his country on the campaign Trail this Autumn he said that sanctions should be ended against Moscow he said that military aid to Ukraine should be released in the past he’s expressed uh admiration for Vladimir Putin now he softened that stance but he is extremely close to Victor Orban of Hungary now he’s that illiberal prime minister known with his close ties to the Kremlin but despite all of this reita tonight after this Dreadful attack the concern that I’m hearing here tonight in Brussels about Robert fito who’s known so well after so many years at so many EU Summits is concerned for his family and concerned for his well-being

The Prime Minister of Slovakia has undergone hours of emergency surgery after being shot multiple times while leaving a government meeting and passing through crowds of people in the town of Handlova.

Robert Fico was said to have been stabilised following “life threatening injuries”. It’s reported that five bullets were fired and he was hit in the stomach, arm and leg.

The suspect, a 71-year-old man, was arrested at the scene. Slovak media reports said he had worked as a security guard at a shopping mall and that the attack may have been politically motivated.

Slovakia has become increasingly polarised under Robert Fico’s government. His populist party is anti-EU and has opposed sending military aid to Ukraine, arguing that Slovakia should avoid foreign military engagements and focus on national priorities. His government is currently seeking to close down Slovakia’s public broadcaster which it accuses of not being objective and creating political divisions. Opposition parties say the plan is a threat to democracy.

Reeta Chakrabarti presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Bethany Bell in Bratislava and Katya Adler in Brussels.

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43 comments

  6. wow Joe Biden said … “Alarming” …… It is extremely alarming and hard to understand why people are turning on their so called leaders … why do you all think might be the reason ?

  9. what a joke, they are condemning this as evil hate and violence, yet they are all SILENT about the palestinians attempted genocide of jews when they slaughtered 1200 jews on PURPOSE and deliberately in cold blood with JOY and filming it all and rejoicing on oct 7th, humanity is a joke, thats why im so misanthropic.

  18. This is all staged by the US. It's impossible that the security team wasn't able to stop the old man, much more shoot the PM multiple times. The gunman, and all members of the security team are hired and trained by the US to plot this shooting. The PM is said to be supporting Russia.

  23. Uvijek, ali uvijek postoji rizik, ali i pored toga, obezbeđenje je katastrofa.
    Dragi moji Slovaci, nikad niko neće reći ko stoji iza ovoga, zato sto je vecina korumpirana, ali budite ubeđeni da iza ovog stoji najveće zlo na kugli zemaljskoj, tj Britanci i Ameri. Anglosaksonska djubrad. Džaba vam sve to sto ste u EU, zapadnjaci vas nikad nece ni poštovati ni cijeniti. Prirodno je za vas da ste tamo gdje je vama bolje i ljepše.

  28. BBC is funded in whole or in part by the British government. And this statement is semantically rhetorically completely different from the deceptive, conniving propagandist label that YT sneaks in for BBC. Use SAME labeling for the same thing across your platform!!

  32. Forget the 5 shots. How was he able to get that gun from around the waist area, lift it up to firing position and fire the first shot with security just inches away?

  34. Thats b.s. about ties with Kremlin is only there because western mainstream media uses any chance to demonise Putin and Russians…
    People are taking matters in their own hands because its obvious that politicians do not care a bit for their People…they are just evil thugs….Off Course Putin is the best and smartest politician by far …the sanctions against Russia were the stupidest thing ever

  39. It's crucial for the government to listen to the voice of the people and consider the collective interests of the majority. When a government prioritizes the needs of a single individual or a minority over the well-being of the larger population, it can lead to widespread discontent and resistance. By acknowledging the concerns and aspirations of the populace as a whole, the government can foster a sense of inclusion and unity, reducing the likelihood of widespread opposition. This approach can contribute to a more stable and harmonious society, where the government is seen as a true representative of the people's will.

  42. To anyone wondering about the lack of security, here's some context. No one took security too seriously here in Slovakia, it was rarely ever necessary besides the high ranking mafia members, which were the only ones getting shot regularly and that was way back in the 90s and early 00s. Very little shootings since then, just the gay dudes last year and the journalist 5 or so years ago, which were VERY shocking exceptions.

    Fico getting shot, on the other hand, was and wasn't to be expected – while shootings are rare here, literally half the country hates this guy and he's the head of a political party, whose connections run very deep into the ranks of former mafia members, many suspiciously rich individuals and even the former communist party of Czechoslovakia. Plus Smer, his political party, has been working hard on bending the laws, to clear their crimes, which sparked several waves of protests last year. So, this turn of events is not THAT surprising and the security will probably increase substantially from now on.

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