Estonian leadership: Slovak prime minister shooting a shocking attack on democracy

Estonia's leaders have expressed their deep shock at Wednesday's shooting of Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico, calling it an attack on democracy.
Fico has reportedly been fighting for his life in hospital following the attack, thought to be a deliberate assassination attempt, on Wednesday afternoon in the town of Handlova.
President Karis: 'Unacceptable violence'
President Alar Karis spoke of the: "Unacceptable violence in Slovakia today."
"I wish a lot of strength to the Prime Minister Robert Fico. My thoughts are with him, his family and people of Slovakia," the Estonian president continued via his social media account.
Unacceptable violence in Slovakia today.
— Alar Karis (@AlarKaris) May 15, 2024
I wish a lot of strength to the Prime Minister Robert Fico.
My thoughts are with him, his family and people of Slovakia.
Prime Minister Kallas: 'Attack on the very idea of democracy'
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (Reform) posted that she was: "Deeply shocked by the assassination attempt of Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico. An attack against an elected leader is also an attack against the very idea of democracy. I wish him a full and speedy recovery. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones."
Deeply shocked by the assasination attempt of Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico.
— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) May 15, 2024
An attack against an elected leader is also an attack against the very idea of democracy.
I wish him a full and speedy recovery. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) described the attack as "Shocking," adding: "Violence in politics is unacceptable. I wish the Prime Minister of Slovakia a speedy recovery."
The attack on Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is shocking. Violence in politics is unacceptable.
— Margus Tsahkna (@Tsahkna) May 15, 2024
I wish the Prime Minister of Slovakia speedy recovery.
Slovakia's outgoing president Zuzana Caputova said something "so serious had happened that we can't even realize it yet."
"The hateful rhetoric we witness in society leads to hateful acts," she added, referring to the political climate in Slovakia in the period leading up to the incident.
Other world leaders, too, have been united in their condemnation of the shooting, with U.S. President Joe Biden calling it a "horrific act of violence" and European Council President Charles Michel saying "nothing can ever justify violence or such attacks".
The attack happened at about 2:30 p.m. local time in Handlova, about 180 kilometers from the Slovak capital Bratislava, the BBC reports.
Fico had been greeting the public in front of a cultural community center where a government meeting had been held, when a man fired five times from short range at the prime minister before being subdued by bodyguards.
He was airlifted by helicopter to a nearby hospital, then transferred to another hospital in the town of Banska Bystrica, where he underwent surgery for several hours.
His condition was said to be critical, though some Slovak politicians gave cause for hope for an eventual recovery as of the time of writing.
Unconfirmed local media reports said the suspect was a 71-year-old writer and political activist.
Slovak politicians including the president have called the shooting an "attack on democracy", with some laying the blame at the feet of hate speech propagated via social media.
Fico, 59, had already been Slovakia's prime minister over two terms, in 2006 to 2010 and 2012 to 2018, before returning to office once again after elections last September.
He heads up a largely populist and nationalist coalition, while his third time in office so far has seen some contentious moves made, including the halting of military aid to Ukraine, and announcing plans to shut down Slovak public broadcaster RTVS.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte