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☆ Slovak PM Fico no longer in immediate danger but condition serious, deputy says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Reuters —Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is no longer in immediate danger but still in a serious condition, his deputy said on Sunday, four days after an assassination attempt that sent shockwaves through Europe. “We are all a little calmer,” Deputy Prime Minister Robert Kalinak told a news conference outside the hospital where Fico is being treated in the central Slovak town of Banska Bystrica. The prime minister, 59, was hit by four bullets on Wednesday in an attack that raised alarm over the polarized state of politics in the central European country of 5.4 million people. Kalinak told journalists that Fico’s condition was still too serious to consider transferring him to hospital in the capital. Local news media say the suspect is a 71-year-old former security guard at a shopping mall and the author of three collections of poetry.

Persons: Robert Fico, Robert Kalinak, Kalinak, Juraj C Organizations: Reuters, Slovak Locations: Europe, Slovak, Banska Bystrica, Slovakia

Sergey Dolzhenko/EPA-EFE/ShutterstockUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, NATO’s Jens Stoltenberg and other European leaders are condemning the attack on Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on Wednesday. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: "Shocked and appalled by the shooting of Prime Minister Robert Fico. My thoughts are with PM Fico, his family,” she said on X.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky: "The attack on Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico is appalling. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni: "I learned with deep shock the news of the cowardly attack on Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez: “Horrified and outraged at the attack on the Slovak Prime Minister.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Zuzana Caputova, Sergey Dolzhenko, NATO’s Jens Stoltenberg, Robert Fico, Jens Stoltenberg, Ursula von der, “, Fico, ”, state's, Zelensky, Viktor Orban, ” Orban, Giorgia, Pedro Sanchez, ” Sanchez Organizations: Slovak, NATO, European, Slovakia’s, Spanish, Slovak Prime Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Slovakia, Hungarian, Spain

☆ Robert Fico: Slovakia’s PM in life-threatening condition after being shot multiple times
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico was in a life-threatening condition in hospital Wednesday after he was shot multiple times in an assassination attempt. Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico attends a European Council summit in Brussels, on April 18, 2024. Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP via Getty Images/FILEFico previously served as Slovakia’s prime minister for more than a decade, first between 2006 and 2010 and then again from 2012 to 2018. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, tweeted: “I strongly condemn the vile attack on Prime Minister Robert Fico. My thoughts are with PM Fico, his family.”And Hungarian Prime Minister Orban added: “I was deeply shocked by the heinous attack against my friend, Prime Minister Robert Fico.

Persons: CNN —, Robert Fico, Fico, Zuzana Čaputová, “ I’m, Roberto Fico, ” Čaputová, upend, “, ”, Vladimir Putin, Viktor Orban, Kenzo Tribouillard, Jan Kuciak, Martina Kušnírová, Kuciak, Ursula von der Leyen, Orban Organizations: CNN, CNN — Slovakia’s, Facebook, Ukraine, NATO, Kremlin, Hungary’s, European Union, Slovakia's, Getty Locations: Handlova, Banska Bystrica, Bratislava, Slovak, Ukraine, Brussels, AFP, Hungarian

☆ Slovakian PM Fico in ‘life-threatening’ condition after being shot; EU leaders decry 'brutal attack'
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Sam Meredith | In Samuelmeredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico attends a press conference during a Special European Council Meeting on April 18, 2024 in Brussels, Belgium. Slovakia's populist Prime Minister Robert Fico on Wednesday was shot multiple times in an assassination attempt that has sent shockwaves across the continent. The 59-year-old has been transported by helicopter to hospital in the central Slovakian city of Banska Bystrica to receive treatment. A post on Fico's official Facebook page said the prime minister was "shot multiple times and is in a life-threatening state" after an "attempted assassination." Slovakian President Zuzana Čaputová "strongly" condemned the "brutal and ruthless attack" in a Google-translated Facebook post, without supplying further details of the nature of the attack.

Persons: Slovakia Robert Fico, Robert Fico, Fico, Zuzana Čaputová Organizations: NBC, Reuters, CNBC Locations: Slovakia, Brussels, Belgium, Slovakian, Banska Bystrica, Bratislava, Handlova

☆ Slovaks Vote in Presidential Election That Might Bolster PM Fico
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-22 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

(Reuters) - Slovaks vote in a presidential election on Saturday that could strengthen Prime Minister Robert Fico's grip on power as he seeks more control over public media, softer anti-corruption laws and a dissenting voice to EU support for Ukraine. Polls are open in the first round of voting from 7:00 a.m. (0600 GMT) until 10:00 p.m. (2100 GMT). A run-off between the top two candidates is due on April 6 if no one wins a majority this weekend. Pellegrini, a former prime minister and member of Fico's leftist, ruling SMER party and now the head of junior coalition partner HLAS, is hoping to duplicate that success. Caputova won the last presidential election in 2019, riding an anti-corruption wave aimed at Fico's party, which was in power then.

Persons: Robert Fico's, Fico's, Peter Pellegrini, Zuzana Caputova, Fico, Pellegrini, HLAS, Ivan Korcok, Caputova, Korcok, Jason Hovet, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Reuters, Ukraine, EU, Constitutional, RTVS Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Russian, Kyiv, Prague

☆ Slovakia's New PM Fico Stops Talking to Some Media Amid Rift
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico stopped communication with four leading domestic news outlets on Monday after accusing them of failing to provide truthful information, widening a rift with some independent media groups. Fico became prime minister for a fourth time last month at the head of a leftist-nationalist coalition after an election in which he attacked liberal policies, Slovakia's Western allies and media that is critical of him and his SMER party. "As long as the cited media outlets do not begin to fulfil their legal obligations, Prime Minister R. Fico is interrupting any communication with them," the government office said in an emailed statement. While he had not barred journalists, halting communication contravened laws ensuring that media are kept informed by the authorities, he added. Pavol Szalai of Reporters Without Borders said Fico was subjecting Slovakia's democracy to a "crash test".

Persons: Robert Fico, Fico, Jan Kuciak, Kuciak, R, Dennik, Matus Kostolny, Kostolny, Beata Balogova, Jason Hovet, Gareth Jones Organizations: Reuters, Slovak, TV, Facebook, Borders, Government

☆ Slovakia's populist ex-PM Fico seals coalition deal for new government
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Jason Hovet | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SMER-SSD party leader Robert Fico arrives to the party's headquarters, after the country's early parliamentary elections, in Bratislava, Slovakia, October 1, 2023. REUTERS/Eva Kornikova/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 16 (Reuters) - Slovak former prime minister Robert Fico and his party signed a coalition deal on Monday to form a new government expected to go slow on cutting high deficits and reduce support to neighbour Ukraine. Fico said his priorities would include boosting living standards and a foreign policy consistent with Slovakia's EU and NATO membership - but focused on protecting national interests. Fico has a tense relationship with Caputova, whom he has called a U.S. puppet acting as U.S. financier and philanthropist George Soros' proxy. Reporting by Jason Hovet in Prague; editing by Alex Richardson, Mark Heinrich and Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Robert Fico, Eva Kornikova, Viktor Orban, Zuzana Caputova, Fico, Caputova, George Soros, opposition's, Jason Hovet, Alex Richardson, Mark Heinrich, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: REUTERS, Ukraine, Hungarian, Kyiv, Democracy, Slovak National Party, European Union, NATO, EU, Thomson Locations: Bratislava, Slovakia, Slovak, Ukraine, Fico, U.S, Poland, Prague

☆ Pro-Russian ex-PM Fico wins Slovak election, needs allies for government
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Robert Fico, former Slovak prime minister and lead candidate of the SMER political party, arrives at SMER headquarters at the Slovak parliamentary elections on September 30, 2023 in Bratislava, Slovakia. Slovakia's leftist former Prime Minister Robert Fico beat his progressive rival in a parliamentary election after campaigning to end military aid to Ukraine, but he will need to win over allies to form the next government, nearly complete results showed on Sunday. With 98% of voting districts reporting in the Saturday election, Fico's SMER-SSD party led with 23.37% of the vote. Former Fico colleague and leftist HLAS leader Peter Pellegrini kept his options open on future coalitions. It would also signal a further shift in the region against political liberalism, which may be reinforced if conservative PiS wins an election in Poland later this month.

Persons: Robert Fico, Fico's, Peter Pellegrini, Fico, Robert Kalinak Organizations: Slovak, Progressive, NATO, Ukraine Locations: Slovak, Bratislava, Slovakia, Ukraine, Progressive Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Brussels

☆ Slovakia's Pro-Russia former PM Fico wins election
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsSlovakia's Pro-Russia former PM Fico wins electionPostedSlovakia's Robert Fico, who won an election after pledging to end military aid to Ukraine, was in pole position to start talks on forming a government on Sunday while a liberal rival vowed to seek partners to prevent the former leftist prime minister's return to power. Rachel Graham reports.

Persons: PM Fico, Robert Fico, Rachel Graham Organizations: Slovakia's, Russia, PM Locations: Ukraine

☆ Slovaks choose between pro-Russian ex-PM Fico and pro-Western liberals
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Jan Lopatka | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BRATISLAVA, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Slovaks were voting on Saturday in a parliamentary election closely fought between former leftist prime minister Robert Fico, who has pledged to end military aid for neighbouring Ukraine, and pro-Western liberals. He has kept his options open but said this week his party was closer to Fico. Fico has ridden on dissatisfaction with a bickering centre-right coalition whose government collapsed last year, triggering this election a half-year early. Fico has pledged to end military supplies to Ukraine, and to strive for peace talks. But Fico was also a pragmatic leader in the past, which foreign diplomats and analysts say could tame his foreign policy turn.

Persons: Robert Fico, Fico, Fico's, Michal Simecka, Peter Pellegrini, Michal Vasecka, Viktor Orban, Jan Lopatka, David W, Cerny, Peter Graff Organizations: Ukraine, Democracy, European, Thomson Locations: BRATISLAVA, Ukraine, Slovakia, Hungary, European, Poland, Progressive Slovakia, Russia, Brussels, Prague, Bratislava

☆ Knife-edge Slovak election to determine stance on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Jan Lopatka | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Robert Fico, leader of the SMER-SSD party, Michal Simecka, leader of Progressive Slovakia party, and Peter Pellegrini, leader of HLAS party await for the televised debate to begin at TV TA3, prior to the Slovak early parliamentary election, in Bratislava, Slovakia, September 26, 2023. Fico's SMER-SSD party has a narrow lead over liberal Progressive Slovakia (PS), which has pledged to stay the course on foreign policy, in two out of four final opinion polls. Such an alliance may be reinforced if Poland's conservative PiS wins another term in October, although PiS has a hawkish view on Russia. The leading Slovak party is expected to get the first chance from liberal President Zuzana Caputova to form a cabinet. "He will stop the weapons (for Ukraine), that is what he gains support on."

Persons: Robert Fico, Michal Simecka, Peter Pellegrini, HLAS, Radovan Stoklasa, Fico's, Viktor Orban, PiS, Zuzana Caputova, Fico, Grigorij Meseznikov, Orban, embolden, Jan Lopatka, Christina Fincher Organizations: Progressive, REUTERS, EU, Reuters, NATO, Oxford, Thomson Locations: Progressive Slovakia, Bratislava, Slovakia, Ukraine, Russia, UKRAINE, Brussels, Hungary, Europe, Czech Republic, Poland, EU, Prague

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