Thai PM stands with Slovakia PM following public shooting

Thailand Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin released a message this morning, condemning the attack on the Slovakian Prime Minister Roberto Fico. The 62 year old Thai PM’s message, released on the social media platform X, revealed his shock and condemnation of the violent attack, cementing his stance in solidarity with the people of Slovakia and the international community.

“We are shocked by the attack on Prime Minister Robert Fico. We condemn such acts of violence and stand in solidarity with the international community and the people of Slovakia. Our thoughts are with Prime Minister Fico and his family at this critical time.”

The Bangkok-born prime minister’s comments followed the shocking incident at 2.30pm local time (7.30pm Thai time), when the Slovakian PM was critically injured in a shooting in the small town of Handlova, located about 180 kilometres (112 miles) northeast of the capital, Bratislava.

At the time, Fico was greeting people outside a cultural community centre where a government meeting had taken place earlier. Footage from the scene showed a man raising a gun and firing five shots at the prime minister before being subdued by Fico’s security detail, reported the BBC.

The prime minister was rushed into his car and airlifted to a hospital in Banska Bystrica for emergency treatment.

Defense Minister Robert Kalinak confirmed that Fico had undergone over three hours of surgery, initially describing the situation as bad, but was later revealed to be in stable condition following successful surgery.

Political motivations

The suspected assailant, reported to be a 71 year old writer and political activist, was immediately detained at the scene. Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok stated that initial information pointed to a political motivation for the attack, as Fico had been shot in the stomach.

According to Slovak news outlets, the individual responsible for the shooting was previously employed as a security guard at a shopping mall. Reports indicate he was an author who had published three poetry collections and belonged to the Slovak Society of Writers.

The gunman’s son was quoted stating that his father legally possessed a gun license but he was unaware of his father’s motives and actions leading up to the attack, reported Aktuality.sk.

“I have absolutely no idea what my father intended, what he planned, what happened.”

The shooting has been widely condemned as an attack on democracy by Slovak leaders, including outgoing President Zuzana Caputova and President-elect Peter Pellegrini.

They blamed the spread of hate speech on social media and divisive political rhetoric for contributing to an environment that led to such violence.

Sowing hatred

Estok accused the media of sowing hatred and announced that protection would be provided to constitutional officials, journalists, and public figures who could be subject to similar attacks.

The attack on Fico, who returned to power last September at the head of a populist-nationalist coalition, has sent shockwaves through Slovakia.

His recent controversial policies, including halting military aid to Ukraine and plans to abolish the public broadcaster RTVS, had sparked widespread protests.

World leaders, including US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin, have strongly condemned the horrific act of violence and expressed solidarity with Slovakia during this crisis.