(15 May 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARCHIVE: Prague, Czech Republic – 8 June 2016
1. Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico seated on stage along with counterparts from Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, in what is known as the Visegrad Group, or V4
2. Pan from speaker to officials including Fico seated
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARCHIVE: Bratislava, Slovakia – 1 October 2023
3. Fico, who was former prime minister at the time, and delegates from Smer party (Direction – Social Democracy) arriving for newsconference
4. Fico applauding and leaving
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARCHIVE: Berlin, Germany – 16 June 2016
5. Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel with Fico at news conference
6. Merkel and Fico shaking hands
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARCHIVE: Brussels, Belgium – 19 February 2016
7. Wide of news conference
8. Fico, speaking with journalist, then walking away
STORYLINE:
Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico was injured in a shooting and taken to hospital on Wednesday, according to media reports.
The incident took place in the town of Handlova, some 150 kilometers northeast of the capital, according to the news television station TA3.
A suspect has been detained, it said.
Deputy speaker of parliament Lubos Blaha confirmed the incident during a session of Parliament and adjourned it until further notice, the Slovak TASR news agency said.
The incident took place in front of the local House of Culture, where Fico came to meet with supporters.
Police sealed off the scene.
A reporter for the daily newspaper Dennik N daily heard the shooting and then saw rescuers carrying the premier to a car.
Fico has served as Slovakian prime minister since 2023, having served previously from 2006 to 2010 and from 2012 to 2018.
He founded the Direction – Social Democracy (Smer) party in 1999 and has led the party since its foundation.
Fico holds a record as the longest-serving prime minister in the country’s history, having served for a total of over 10 years.
First elected to Parliament in 1992 (whilst within Czechoslovakia), he was later appointed to the Council of Europe.
Following his party’s victory in the 2006 parliamentary election, he formed the first Fico Cabinet. Fico’s political positions have been described as populist.
After the 2010 parliamentary election, Fico served as an opposition member of parliament, effectively holding the position of the leader of the opposition.
Following a motion of no confidence against the Iveta Radičová cabinet, Fico was re-appointed as prime minister after leading Smer to a landslide election victory in the 2012 parliamentary election, winning 83 seats and forming a government with an absolute majority in Parliament, the first such since 1989.
In 2013, Fico officially declared his candidacy for the 2014 presidential election.
Fico lost the election to his political rival Andrej Kiska in the second round of voting on 29 March 2014.
On 15 March 2018, due to the political crisis following the murder of Ján Kuciak, Fico delivered his resignation to President Andrej Kiska, who then formally charged Deputy Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini with the formation of a new government.
During the 2023 parliamentary election, Fico ran on a campaign to cease military support to Ukraine in the Russo-Ukrainian War.
His party Direction – Social Democracy (Smer), won the most votes in the election, with 22.95% of the vote and winning 42 seats.
Fico formed a coalition with Voice – Social Democracy (Hlas) and the Slovak National Party,and began his fourth term as prime minister on 25 October.
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