Slovak PM Fico Marks Two Years Since Assassination Attempt, Calls It His 'Second Birthday'

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico marked the second anniversary of an assassination attempt against him by returning to the scene in Handlová, where he held a press conference and met with students under tight security. Fico, leader of the ruling social-democratic Smer-SD party, referred to May 15th as his "second birthday," commemorating the day he survived the attack two years ago. Opposition representatives and Slovakia's intelligence service SIS also issued statements regarding the anniversary. The opposition called for reducing tensions in Slovak society, highlighting ongoing political polarization since the incident. Fico was shot and seriously wounded on May 15, 2022, in what became one of the most serious attacks on a European political leader in recent years, sending shockwaves through Slovakia's political landscape.