Slovakia's Ruling Smer Party Boycotts TV Debates Ahead of Assassination Attempt Anniversary

Slovakia's ruling Smer-SD party has canceled its participation in television debates, with Prime Minister Robert Fico, Defense Minister Robert Gašpar, and Culture Minister Martina Šimkovičová-Takáčová all withdrawing from scheduled appearances. The party has described the boycott as a "gift" for Fico ahead of the anniversary of the assassination attempt against him. The decision represents another instance of Smer avoiding televised political discussions, a pattern that has emerged in recent months. The assassination attempt on Fico occurred in May 2024 when he was shot multiple times after a government meeting in the town of Handlová, leading to his hospitalization and temporary withdrawal from public life before returning to his duties as head of the social-democratic party that leads Slovakia's coalition government.