I HATE to put on a tinfoil hat, but this is the best thing that could have happened to the ruling party. They are already in the middle of dismantling the media and justice. This will accelerate the process.
My exact thoughts. They are already using it to atack on oposition and press, fanning the flmes. If this was false flag attack, they would not act differently. Not saying it is. But it smells.
Either way situation in Slovakia will get a whole lot worse.
There are other people in his government who can take over. Easy to rally behind a martyr.
Also he will greatly benefit if he lives, as per the OP edit he is stabilized. Edit: no idea what the source on that is, did notfind this info anywhere
Tinfoil for what? It is going to benefit a lot the ruling party... Unless you mean that he planned this. Governments plan fake assassination attempts, this one doesn't look like one.
I am not surprised, they (ruling party) bank on polarizing people, attacking journalists and populism/prorussian reathorics.
I just listened to their press conference and they just pour gasoline on this situation. Like I nearly vomited hearing the accusations of journalists, opposition parties...
Don't want to be a conspircy theorist but this smells of an attempt to make him a martyr (false flag or done unwillingly by some 3rd party) to justify iron grip and even stronger attacks on democratic principles. There are also allegations he worked with mafia, so might be that too.
But even if I was wrong, it doesn't matter as they act just the same - already blaming oposition and the press for it.
We should also take into consideration that if I remember correctly, he or other government official already warned of this happening.
Either way, the fact this would happen in Slovakia is honestly terrifying.
"If (Fico’s party) Smer enters government, we will not send a single round of ammunition to Ukraine," (Fico) recently told supporters. (Before the election, which Smer won)
Zero....his electoral platform was basically "stop helping Ukraine".
There's no upside for an independent Russian resident of Slovakia to be a provocateur and potentially kill their ally, and nothing would reinvigorate weakening Western support for Ukraine than the Russian state attempting to assassinate a European head of state.
My first thought too. Putin is cleaning house internally. And this can just be a good move with fico not being loyal enough so you martyr him and get an even more usefull idiot in his place.
The update is bulshit OP. Last official update I've seen is from 2 hours ago and he was still in surgery nd in life threatening condition. You put out that "update" long before that
I have no love for Fico but this is not the way. This will slide Slovakia towards more to the far right - and more quickly. This is also just before EU elections and the ruling parties will absolutely use this (they already are).
I wouldn't say he's a fascist. He only ever presents what the majority of the voters wants to hear.
Every time the party needs a new demographic on board, he either changes the rethoric, or, if it's a taboo topic, allies himselves with people not afraid of breaking that taboo.