Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico is in a stable but “very serious” condition following surgery after an assassination attempt, a health official stated on Thursday. Miriam Lapunikova, director of the F.D. Roosevelt University Hospital in Banska Bystrica where Fico is receiving treatment, shared updates on his condition during a press conference.

“His condition stabilized, but it is truly very serious, and therefore he will actually be in the intensive care unit on the premises of the general hospital, where he will be cared for by the team and the entire team of doctors that he will need,” Lapunikova said, according to a Reuters video. She mentioned that Fico underwent a five-hour surgery conducted by two medical teams. He suffered “multiple gunshot wounds, the consequences of which will affect his recovery.”

Slovakian Deputy Prime Minister Tomas Taraba also indicated that Fico was no longer in a life-threatening condition. “Fortunately, as far as I know, the operation went well, and I guess that at the end he will survive,” Taraba told BBC Newshour. “At this moment, the state of the operation should be that he’s not in a life-threatening situation.”

The suspect involved in the assassination attempt has been apprehended and charged. Fico, 59, was gravely wounded on Wednesday after being shot multiple times following a political event in the Slovak town of Handlova. He was transported by helicopter to a nearby hospital in Banska Bystrica for emergency treatment, as reported on his official Facebook page.

A suspect in the assassination attempt, who acted alone and had previously participated in anti-government protests, has been charged, Reuters cited Slovakian Minister of the Interior Matúš Šutaj Eštok as saying on Thursday. The individual listed government policies on prosecution and media as the reasons behind the attack. The minister described the shooting as a “politically motivated attempt,” according to translated video footage carried by Sky News.

Slovakian President Zuzana Caputova had reported that police detained a suspect linked to the incident on Wednesday in a social media update. The suspect’s motivations appear to be rooted in opposition to Fico’s government policies.

Fico has served as prime minister of Slovakia for around 10 years across three mandates, heading the Smer (Direction) party. He most recently assumed the post following parliamentary elections in 2023. In October, he pledged to stop military support for Ukraine and to no longer endorse further sanctions against Russia, Reuters reported. His administration has also proposed a contentious overhaul and state takeover of public broadcaster RTVS, along with a highly controversial amendment to the country’s penal code that would, among other measures, eliminate the special prosecutors’ office that oversees serious crimes.

The assassination attempt on Fico has sent shockwaves throughout Slovakia and the broader European political landscape. European leaders have condemned the attack, calling for a swift investigation and expressing solidarity with the Slovakian government and its people during this turbulent time.

The implications of this event are significant, as Fico's policies and leadership have been polarizing within Slovakia. His stance on Russia and Ukraine, along with proposed changes to the media and judicial system, have sparked intense debate and opposition. The attack underscores the heightened political tensions in the country and the potential for further unrest.