Slovak Prime Minister Fico remains stable after shooting

Slovak Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Robert Kaliniak spoke on the state of health of the shot Prime Minister Robert Fico that he remains in a hospital in Banská Bystrica with optimistic forecasts. His condition is stable, though still serious.

The Slovak Defence Minister announced at a press conference that "the worst fears have passed." However, he announced that Robert Fico would not be transferred from the hospital in Banská Bystrica for now.

Kaliniak said that the Prime Minister needs a lot of time to recover. "I think it will take several more days until we know the direction of the further development," he said.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, the Prime Minister, injured in the attack on Wednesday, needs to rest, especially since he still requires intensive care. Convalescence and recovery will take at least weeks.

Kaliniak informed the day before that Fico is conscious but has certain communication limitations. The Slovak Ministry of Defence added that there have been a few miracles, and he had no words to thank the doctors for bringing us closer to optimistic forecasts. He noted that they communicate with the Prime Minister only on the most important matters and that he doesn't need to take over his competencies as Deputy Prime Minister.

Kaliniak will chair the next government meetings. One regular session and a special meeting of ministers on European funds are planned.

The attack on the Slovak Prime Minister took place on Wednesday. According to witnesses, Fico stepped out before the House of Culture in Handlova, where the government meeting was held. When the politician was greeting people, several shots were fired.

Police cordoned off the area, and the House of Culture was evacuated. The security personnel ensured the safety of the remaining members of the government. The assailant was subdued and detained by the police.

The man who opened fire on Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has been temporarily arrested. Juraj C. is charged with attempted murder with premeditation. The criminal court agreed with the prosecutor's request and granted the temporary arrest of the 71-year-old.

The reason for taking such measures is the fear of a possible escape and the continuation of the suspect's criminal activity. The court rejected the defence's proposal to place Juraj C. under probation supervision.