Mr Fico was left fighting for his life in hospital after he was shot several times in the stomach in what the government has described as an assassination attempt. Mr Fico, 59, was airlifted to hospital after five shots were fired by a gunman outside the House of Culture in the town of Handlova where the leader was meeting with supporters.
Mr Fico was still critical yesterday after undergoing five hours of surgery with doctors working around the clock to save his life. But Slovakian president-elect Peter Pellegrini said he could speak a little.
”He is able to speak but only a few sentences and then he is really tired because he is on some medication," Mr Pellegrini said. He added that if the bullets had struck just a few millimetres either side, Mr Fico would have been killed.
This story is from the May 17, 2024 edition of The Independent.
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This story is from the May 17, 2024 edition of The Independent.
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