Bratislava, May 30, (dpa/GNA) – Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, who sustained serious injuries in a recent assassination attempt, will not be transferred to another hospital, his medical team said.
Miriam Lapuníková, the head of the Roosevelt Hospital in Banská Bystrica, told journalists on Thursday that Fico wishes to be transferred to home care instead, as soon as his condition allows.
However, Lapuníková was unable to estimate how long it would take until then.
The left-wing populist prime minister was critically wounded by several shots on May 15 when he stepped outside to join supporters after a government meeting in the small town of Handlová.
The attacker, who was detained immediately, is in police custody. During police questioning, the 71-year-old cited his disdain for Fico and governmental policies as justification for his actions.
This emerges from a document that the competent court sent to dpa in upon request. The document had the man’s name, residence, date of birth and other identifiers redacted.
According to the document, the suspect said that he did not agree with the policies of the government led by Fico and its judicial and media policies as well as its “Judas attitude” towards the EU.
Above all, however, he wanted Slovakia’s military aid to Ukraine, which had been stopped by Fico, to be continued.
That is why he had “decided to act.” He did not want to kill Fico, but rather make him “unfit to continue his work,” the document quoted him as saying.
It is currently not foreseeable whether and when Fico will be able to resume his official duties. He has been able to eat again for the first time in the two weeks since the crime, government representatives said on Wednesday.