Slovakia prime minister Robert Fico’s condition ‘no longer life-threatening’:

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Slovakia’s prime minister is no longer in a life-threatening condition after being shot multiple times at point-blank range, according to his deputy prime minister.

Tomáš Taraba told the BBC that Robert Fico was “expected to survive” following the apparent assassination attempt on Wednesday.

The populist leader had been attending a political event in the small town of Handlova when the shooting took place, sending shockwaves through the central European country. 

It comes just weeks before European elections. 

“I guess in the end he will survive,” Taraba told the British broadcaster. “He’s not in a life-threatening situation at this moment.”

“One bullet went through the stomach and the second one hit the joint. Immediately he was transported to hospital,” the deputy PM detailed. 

Slovakia’s defence minister Robert Kalinak previously said Fico was “fighting for his life.” and had spent several hours in surgery. 

Five shots were fired outside a cultural centre in the town of Handlova, nearly 140 kilometres northeast of the capital, Bratislava, government officials said.

The 59-year-old was shot while attending a meeting of his government in the town of 16,000, once a centre of coal mining.

Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok said a suspect is in custody and that initial investigations indicated “a clear political motivation” behind the shooting. 

Local media has released a photograph of the suspect, identified as a 71-year-old writer and political activist. 

Police have not yet identified the alleged suspect. 

Fico is a politically contentious character in Slovakia and rose to prominence on a pro-Russian and anti-US message. In January, he halted aid to Ukraine.

He has previously expressed support for Russian President Vladimir Putin and is currently pushing for a contentious reform of Slovakia’s public radio and television services.

Critics worry that he will lead Slovakia – a nation of 5.4 million that belongs to NATO – to abandon its pro-Western course and follow in the footsteps of Hungary under populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

EU Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen was quick to react to the news of the shooting on X. 

“I strongly condemn the vile attack on Prime Minister Robert Fico. Such acts of violence have no place in our society and undermine democracy, our most precious common good.”