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Slovakia’s prime minister delivers first public remarks since assassination attempt: “I forgive him”
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico delivered his first public remarks since an assassination attempt last month left him in a life-threatening condition.
In a 14-minute speech posted on his Facebook page Wednesday, Fico, 59, said he feels “no hatred” toward his would-be assassin, who he said was neither “some madman” nor acting alone. “I forgive him,” Fico said, adding that “he was only a messenger of evil and political hatred, which the politically unsuccessful and frustrated opposition developed in Slovakia to unmanageable proportions.”
The prime minister suggested his pro-Russia, anti-NATO and anti-U.S. stances had made him a target. Fico ended his country’s military aid for Ukraine after his coalition government was sworn in on Oct. 25. He also opposes EU sanctions on Russia and wants to block Ukraine from joining NATO.
SMER/Robert Fico via Facebook
“The opposition abuses how large democracies enforce a single mandatory opinion on major foreign policy issues and reject the sovereign positions of small countries,” Fico said, referring to the opposition party Progressive Slovakia, a pro-Western liberal party with which Fico’s own leftist Smer (Direction) party is in a close race to win the European Parliament election.
Fico said that though his party won the country’s parliamentary elections on September 30, there was, since his assassination attempt, “no one holding up a mirror to the growing and well-fed opposition’s aggressiveness, neither the media, nor the non-governmental organizations, nor the head of state, nor Brussels, nor NATO.”
Fico was shot multiple times on May 15 as he emerged from a government meeting in the town of Handlova, about 90 miles northeast of the capital Bratislava, shocking the small country and reverberating across Europe. The 71-year-old suspect was tackled to the ground and arrested.
Radovan Stoklasa/REUTERS
Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok in May said that an initial investigation found “a clear political motivation” behind the attack, though it appeared the suspect charged was a lone wolf who “did not belong to any political groups.”
Two days after the shooting, Health Minister Zuzana Dolinkova said Fico had undergone two hours of surgery to remove dead tissue from multiple gunshot wounds. Defense Minister Robert Kalinak at the time said that “several miracles” had occurred at the hands of Fico’s medical team.
In Wednesday’s speech, Fico, speaking steadily, said he might be able to gradually return to work in June or July.
“I would like to express my belief that all the pain I have gone through and am still going through will serve something good,” he said near the end of his speech. “People could see with their own eyes what horror can happen if someone is not able to democratically compete and respect other opinion.”
—The Associated Press contributed reporting.
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Kamala Harris will speak with “60 Minutes” tomorrow. Here’s what to know for the interview.
Voters will get the chance to hear from Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday as she presents her case for why she should be president in a “60 Minutes” election special.
For decades, “60 Minutes” has featured both Republican and Democratic nominees for presidents, but this year, former President Donald Trump backed out after previously indicating he would be on the show. Correspondent Scott Pelley, who’d been set to interview Trump, will instead travel to Arizona’s Maricopa County, home to more than 60% of Arizona’s voters and a critical battleground in a key swing state.
One thing is certain about the election; with the U.S. deeply involved in both the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, whoever wins on Nov. 5 will become a wartime president.
What Harris will discuss
Israel’s war started one year ago after Hamas launched a surprise terror attack and correspondent Bill Whitaker will discuss the ongoing war with Harris.
Harris will also discuss the economy, immigration, her record as vice president and the differences between herself and Trump.
Democratic vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz will also appear.
Whitaker joined the Democratic ticket on the campaign trail this week to gain insight into their platform’s priorities and values, and what the candidates believe voters should know.
Why Trump pulled out of the “60 Minutes” interview
Leading up to the candidate hour, Trump, through campaign spokespeople, was the first candidate to accept the “60 Minutes” request to be interviewed for the special, according to CBS News. It had been agreed that both candidates would receive equal time during the broadcast.
Trump last sat down with 60 Minutes in 2020. He walked out during the interview with Lesley Stahl. Trump referenced the incident on Tuesday night at a Milwaukee press conference when asked about his decision not to participate in the Oct. 7 “60 Minutes” election special.
“Well, right now, I went to – they came to me and would like me to do an interview, but first I want to get an apology, because the last time I did an interview with them, if you remember, they challenged me on the computer,” Trump said. “They said the ‘laptop from hell’ was from Russia, and I said it wasn’t from Russia. It was from Hunter, and I never got an apology, so I’m sort of waiting. I’d love to do ’60 Minutes.’ I do everything.”
The Republican nominee for president emphasized that he felt he was owed an apology from “60 Minutes.”
“Let’s see if they do it. I wouldn’t mind doing 60,” Trump continued. “I’ve done ’60 Minutes’ a lot.”
In a statement on Tuesday, Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung said that Trump’s team had not agreed to an interview.
“Fake News,” Cheung said in a post on X. “60 Minutes begged for an interview, even after they were caught lying about Hunter Biden’s laptop back in 2020. There were initial discussions, but nothing was ever scheduled or locked in. They also insisted on doing live fact checking, which is unprecedented.”
Previous Trump, Harris appearances on 60 Minutes
Trump previously sat down with “60 Minutes'” Mike Wallace in 1985, Pelley in 2015 and Lesley Stahl twice in 2016, first in July of that year and then again in November of 2016. He also spoke with Stahl again in 2018 and 2020.
Harris previously sat down with Whitaker last year. She also was interviewed by Norah O’Donnell, “CBS Evening News” anchor and “60 Minutes” contributing correspondent, in 2020.
How to watch the “60 Minutes” election special
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