“POLITICALLY MOTIVATED”
Inside Minister Matus Sutaj Estok instructed a information convention on Wednesday that the assault was “politically motivated”.
Fico and his authorities coalition allies have criticised sections of the media and the opposition, saying that they had infected tensions within the central European state.
Slovakia’s largest opposition social gathering, the liberal, pro-western Progressive Slovakia, referred to as off a deliberate protest and referred to as for restraint to keep away from escalating tensions.
The nation of 5.4 million has seen polarised political debate lately, together with a hard-fought presidential election final month that helped tighten Fico’s grip on energy after his ally Peter Pellegrini gained.
Since returning for the fourth time as prime minister final October, Fico has shifted coverage rapidly in what opposition critics mentioned was an influence seize threatening the rule of legislation.
His authorities has scaled again assist for Ukraine whereas opening dialogue with Russia, sought to weaken punishments for corruption and dismantled a particular prosecutor’s workplace coping with excessive corruption, and proposing to revamp the RTVS public broadcaster regardless of calls to guard media freedom.
Fico has lengthy been vital of Slovakia’s mainstream media, refusing to talk to some retailers. Members of his social gathering blasted media and opposition actions in current months.
In Germany, which has just lately seen a spate of assaults on politicians, Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed shock on Wednesday, saying that violence had no place in European politics.
