World leaders have reacted to the news of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico suffering life-threatening injuries when he was shot and wounded in an attempted assassination on Wednesday.
European Commission President Ursula Von Dear Leyen: “Such acts of violence have no place in our society and undermine democracy, our most precious common good. My thoughts are with PM Fico, his family.”
German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz: “News of the cowardly assassination attempt on Slovakian Prime Minister Fico shocks me deeply. Violence must have no place in European politics.”
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky;
“Every effort should be made to ensure that violence does not become the norm in any country, form, or sphere.”
Slovakia’s acting parliament speaker, Peter Ziga, “I perceive this as an attack on the principles of Slovak democracy. Such a horrible act has never happened in Slovak history. I consider it to be the result of whipped-up passions and the division of the Slovak society into two irreconcilable camps.”
British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak,
“Shocked to hear this awful news. All our thoughts are with Prime Minister Fico and his family.”
Polish prime minister Donald Tusk addressed Fico directly in a post on X, saying his “thoughts are with you in this very difficult moment”
Estonia’s prime minister Kaja Kallas wished Fico a “speedy recovery”, adding that “an attack against an elected leader is also an attack against the very idea of democracy.”
Ireland’s foreign minister Micheál Martin said this “vile” and “reckless” shooting is a “direct attack on democracy itself”
Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg added that his “thoughts are with Robert Fico, his loved ones, and the people of Slovakia”
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