Last Week: The investigation of assassination attempt is testing the integrity of the system
The prime minister has his version of the story, but the investigation is telling a different one.
Welcome to your weekly commentary and overview of news from Slovakia. Prime Minister Fico mentions a secret service report into the attempt on his life five months ago, only to then deny that he had ordered such a report. The government approves next year’s state budget. Fico will meet Orbán on Tuesday.
If you have a suggestion on how to make this overview better, let me know at michaela.terenzani@spectator.sk.
Who will tell the story of the Handlová shooting?
“I do not want to say anything in advance when it comes to the assassination attempt, but it seems [that we will see] terrible things. Terrible things,” Prime Minister Robert Fico told state broadcaster Slovak Radio a month ago.
More than five months have passed since a septuagenarian, Juraj Cintula, opened fire at Robert Fico as the prime minister approached a small group of well-wishers in the main square of the central-Slovak town of Handlová. Fico sustained what were reported to be life-threatening injuries, but made a swift recovery that allowed him to resume his duties over the summer. From his very first public appearance, just before the European Parliamentary election in June, he set out to make sure that he would be the one telling the story of the events on May 15.
His story goes something like this: Cintula has been forgiven, as he was just the tool of some sinister forces that will stop at nothing to prevent Fico from being prime minister because he is outspoken in his “different opinions”; these nefarious forces operate in Slovakia through the opposition and the critical media.
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