Elected Slovak president calls for suspension of EU election campaign after shooting

Slovakia’s President-elect Peter Pellegrini and Prime Minister Robert Fico’s coalition partner called on Thursday (May 16) for all national parties to suspend or tone down the campaign ahead of European Parliament elections following Wednesday’s attack.

“I call on all political parties in Slovakia to temporarily suspend or significantly limit their European election campaigns,” Pellegrini said in a statement, adding that Slovakia should avoid “further confrontations.”

Pellegrini addressed his message not only to politicians, but also to opinion leaders and the media, emphasizing that politicians should not use the attack to score political points and further increase the country’s extreme polarization.

“If there is something that the people of Slovakia urgently need today, it is at least a basic consensus of the Slovak political representation. And if not a consensus, then at least a civilized discussion,” he said.

Fico is in a serious but stable condition, Defense Minister Robert Kaliňák announced this morning.

national unity

President-elect Pellegrini and incumbent President Zuzana Čaputová agreed to soon invite all leaders of parliamentary parties together to the Presidential Palace.

“We are standing together here because we want to send a signal of understanding in this tense situation. We are politicians who agree on what is most important to society. And that should calm the situation,” said the outgoing president.

“We completely agree that we condemn any violence. Yesterday’s attack on Prime Minister Robert Fico is a great human tragedy, but also an attack on democracy,” Čaputová said.

She described the shooting of Robert Fico as an isolated act, but added that responsibility for hatred in society lies with all citizens.

Politically motivated

The alleged shooter, a 71-year-old man, a writer, poet and member of the Slovak Writers’ Union, was charged with attempted premeditated murder and faces 25 years in prison or life in prison if convicted.

After the attack, a video was leaked in which the attacker stated that he disagreed with the government’s policies. This footage was apparently taken at the police station.

The police have not yet commented on how such a leak could have occurred.

“I don’t agree with the government’s policies,” the shooter said in the video. “Mass media liquidated. Why is RTVS under attack?”

The shooter was alluding to Fico’s much-criticized reform of the Slovak public broadcaster RTVS and to the recently dismissed chairman of the Judicial Council of the Slovak Republic, Ján Mazák.