European Union elections: Slovaks, others vote under shadow of an assassination attempt
- Analysts say the Slovak ruling coalition has been using the attack on PM Robert Fico ‘expediently’ to boost his party’s chances of victory
Voters in Slovakia, Italy and other European Union nations are casting their ballots Saturday on the third day of elections for the European Parliament, with populist and far-right parties looking to make gains across the 27-member bloc.
In Slovakia, the election was overshadowed by an attempt to assassinate populist Prime Minister Robert Fico on May 15, sending shock waves through the nation of 5.4 million and reverberating throughout Europe. Analysts say the attack could boost the chances of the prime minister’s leftist Smer (Direction) party, the senior partner in the governing coalition, to win the vote.
Fico, who took office last fall after campaigning on a pro-Russian and anti-American platform, has been recovering from multiple wounds after being shot in the abdomen as he greeted supporters in the town of Handlova.
He recovered in time to address the nation in a pre-recorded video, his first public statement since the attack, just hours before the start of the pre-election silence period on Wednesday.
Although Fico did not talk directly about the vote, he attacked the EU, suggesting he was a victim because of his views that differ sharply from the European mainstream.
