Slovak PM Robert Fico returns to work after assassination attempt

Slovak PM Robert Fico returns to work after assassination attempt

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico resumed his duties on Tuesday, nearly two months after being shot four times by a lone gunman on May 15, APA reports citing Slovak media.

Fico, 59, was attacked at close range following a government meeting in central Slovakia. He underwent two extensive surgeries at a nearby hospital and was released on May 31. The assailant, identified by Slovak media as 71-year-old poet Juraj Cintula, is currently in custody awaiting trial.

Fico heads a coalition government composed of his centrist Smer-SD party, the centrist Hlas, and the far-right SNS. Slovakia, an EU and NATO member with a population of 5.4 million, has seen Fico often criticized by the EU, similar to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

To avoid the media, Fico arrived at Tuesday’s cabinet meeting through a tunnel. On Facebook, he addressed his critics: “Dear progressive liberal media and opposition, I apologize for having survived but I’m back,” along with a photo of himself in his office.

Source: en.apa.az