Slovak authorities charge 'lone wolf' with assassination attempt on the prime minister

Slovak authorities charged a man Thursday with attempting to assassinate Prime Minister Robert Fico, saying he acted alone in a politically motivated attack.

Slovak authorities charged a man Thursday with attempting to assassinate Prime Minister Robert Fico, saying he acted alone in a politically motivated attack. Fico's pro-Russia views have contributed to deep divisions in the small European country that borders Ukraine.

Fico, 59, was in serious but stable condition a day after being shot multiple times, a hospital official said. President-elect Peter Pellegrini said he spoke to Fico at the hospital and confirmed his condition "remains very serious."

The attempted assassination of Fico has shocked the nation and reverberated across the continent weeks ahead of European elections. While Pelligrini and President Zuzana Caputova urged people to dial back the sharp rhetoric that has characterized the political debate, some Fico allies took aim at Slovakia's media for contributing to the polarization.

Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok asked journalists to "reflect" on how they had covered Fico's policies. He referred to the suspect -- who was charged with premeditated murder -- as a "lone wolf" who did not belong to any political groups, though he said the attack itself was politically motivated.

"I can confirm that this person is not a member of any right-wing or left-wing radicalized party," Estok said.

Fico has long been a divisive figure in Slovakia and beyond, and his return to power last year on a pro-Russian, anti-American message led to even greater worries among fellow European Union and NATO members that he would abandon his country's pro-Western course -- particularly on Ukraine.

At the start of Russia's invasion, Slovakia was one of Ukraine's staunchest supporters. Fico halted arms deliveries to Ukraine when he returned to power, his fourth time serving as prime minister.