Wounded Slovakia PM Fico undergoes new surgery

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico remained in "very serious" condition after a new operation Friday, two days after an attempted assassination that has plunged the politically polarised nation into uncertainty.

The suspected gunman is to make a first court appearance on Saturday over the near point blank shooting of the 59-year-old Fico as he spoke to members of the public in the central town of Handlova.

"He had an almost two-hour-long operation" on Friday, deputy prime minister Robert Kalinak told reporters outside the hospital in Banska Bystrica where Fico is being treated.

The prime minister underwent five hours of surgery after the shooting and at one stage officials said he was fighting for his life.

"His state is still very serious. I think it would take a couple of days to see the course of the development of his state," Kalinak added.

- Home searched -

The Banska Bystrica hospital director said Fico remained "conscious" despite being in a "serious" condition.

The suspect charged with the attempted murder of Fico will appear in court on Saturday in Pezinok, a court spokeswoman announced. The suspect was only named as "J.C."

Media have identified the suspect as 71-year-old writer Juraj Cintula. They said police searched his home on Friday.

Officers took the alleged gunman, who was wearing a bulletproof vest and helmet, to the apartment he shared with his wife in the western town of Levice, Markiza TV footage showed.

"Police stayed in the apartment for several hours... They took the computer and documents out of the apartment," the private broadcaster said.

- 'Lone wolf' -

The suspect was charged on Thursday with premeditated attempted murder, in what the authorities have called a politically motivated attack.

"This is a lone wolf whose actions were accelerated after the presidential election since he was dissatisfied with its outcome," Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok said.

The attack has stoked fears of violence and instability in the politically polarised nation, just weeks before European Parliament elections.

Officials drew a link to political tensions in the country, highlighted by social media disinformation and attacks during recent election campaigns.

President-elect Peter Pellegrini, who won an election in April, on Wednesday urged political parties to suspend or reduce campaigning before the EU vote.

The biggest opposition party, centrist Progressive Slovakia, and others announced that they had done so.

The deputy prime minister said that despite Fico's condition, ministers will continue working "so in no way is the functioning of the country frozen or stopped".

"The country is stable and also the patient is stable today," said Kalinak, one of Fico's closest allies.

Kalinak is "the obvious candidate to take over from Fico for at the least the next few months," political analyst Marcin Zaborowski told AFP.

"He is a moderate but he won't do anything to distinguish himself from Fico when it comes to foreign policy," said the Globsec think tank expert.

Fico, a four-time premier and political veteran, returned to office after winning a legislative election last September.

Since then, he has made remarks that have soured ties with Ukraine after he questioned the neighbouring country's sovereignty as it battles Russia.

After he was elected, Slovakia stopped sending weapons to Ukraine, invaded by Russia in 2022.

bur-mmp/tw