Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico mentioned he had returned to work on Tuesday, virtually two months after a lone gunman had shot him 4 occasions on May 15.
The 59-year-old Fico was shot from shut vary after a authorities assembly in central Slovakia and underwent two prolonged surgical procedures in a close-by hospital.
The gunman, recognized by Slovak media as 71-year-old poet Juraj Cintula and prosecuted on terrorism prices, is in custody awaiting trial.
Fico leads a three-party coalition of his centrist Smer-SD get together, the centrist Hlas and the far-right SNS governing the EU and NATO member of 5.4 million folks.
Slovak media mentioned the nationalist-leaning Fico, who is commonly criticised by the EU together with Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban, got here to Tuesday’s cupboard assembly by means of a tunnel to keep away from journalists.
“Dear progressive liberal media and opposition, I apologise for having survived but I’m back,” Fico mentioned on Facebook, posting an image of himself in his workplace.
When Fico took workplace final autumn, Slovakia refused to proceed army support to Ukraine, going through a Russian invasion since February 2022.
The premier himself has been advocating peace talks with Russia, like Hungary’s Orban.
Fico’s cupboard has additionally raised eyebrows by approving payments seen as jeopardising judicial and media freedoms.
Fico was launched from hospital on May 31 and made his first public look at a ceremony close to Bratislava final Friday.
In a speech, he hailed Orban’s controversial journey to Moscow, saying he “would have loved to join him” if he had been wholesome sufficient.
Fico additionally referred to as on Slovakia to construct a wall to cease “progressive and liberal ideologies”, likening them to most cancers.
Following the assassination try, Fico walks with a crutch. He has additionally visibly misplaced weight.
Source: www.anews.com.tr