Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico discharged from hospital after assassination attempt
Robert Fico, a 59-year-old who has been compared to Donald Trump, was shot at close range earlier this month. It was the first major assassination attempt on a European leader for more than 20 years.
Friday 31 May 2024 11:30, UK
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has been discharged from hospital after he was shot in an assassination attempt.
Mr Fico, 59, was shot at close range as he greeted supporters at a government meeting in the central Slovak town of Handlova on 15 May.
The attack left him in a serious condition and needing a five-hour operation. He underwent surgery again two days later.
Miriam Lapunikova, the director of the clinic in the central city of Banska Bystrica, said Mr Fico was taken to his home, where he continues to recover from the attack.
In recent days, the hospital said Mr Fico's condition had been improving.
Read more:
Who is Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico?
A man has been arrested in the shooting, which marked the first major assassination attempt on a European political leader for more than 20 years.
Mr Fico is a populist who has previously been compared to former US president Donald Trump and is seen as sympathetic to Russia President Vladimir Putin.
He staged a political comeback last year when he won parliamentary elections - raising fears he would abandon his country's pro-Western stance.