Sets off global firestorm
An assassination attempt on the prime minister of a small, mostly-Catholic country in Central Europe is reverberating across the world.
Slovakia's head of government, Robert Fico, was shot multiple times Wednesday as he emerged from a government meeting in a town about 85 miles northeast of the capital, Bratislava. Prime Minister Fico sustained life-threatening injuries to his head and chest and was transported to a regional hospital, where he remains in critical condition.
Several Slovakian lawmakers and political observers have called the shooting "politically motivated," and it is being reported that the lone gunman responsible had "political differences" with the prime minister.
Some describe the prime minister and his political party Smer (Direction — Social Democracy) as "left-populist," while others compare Fico to national-sovereignty leaders like Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán and former US president Donald Trump.
Bold Stance Triggers Brussels
Reelected in late 2023, the 59-year-old Catholic politician came under fire recently by members of the European Union establishment for his opposition to the body's "must-support" agenda items, including the war in Ukraine, the World Health Organization's pandemic treaty, and the facilitation of mass migration into Europe.
At the top of the list is Fico's anti-war stance. He is well-known in Europe as a staunch advocate for peace and as an opponent of the war in Ukraine — a position verboten among globalist elites. Throughout his campaign last year, Fico pledged to end military support for Ukraine; following his reelection, he made good on his word, halting arms deliveries, while continuing to provide humanitarian assistance to the country.
The move sparked accusations that Fico is a puppet of the Kremlin. But, while arguing that NATO and the United States did provoke Moscow into conflict, the prime minister insists he is "not pro-Russian, just anti-war." Last December, he noted:
Regarding the World Health Organization (WHO) pandemic treaty, Fico declared in December that he would oppose strengthening WHO’s powers at the expense of sovereign states in managing the fight against pandemics.
"[S]uch nonsense could only have been invented by greedy pharmaceutical companies which began to perceive the resistance of certain governments against mandatory vaccination," he argued. "One study after another confirms the scandalous consequences of mass vaccination with untested experimental vaccines."
Earlier the prime minister said, "Let me tell you once more that for me, it is a personal matter whether to vaccinate oneself or not. … Each person needs to take a decision based upon the information available but, unfortunately, not all information has been made available."
He has also pledged to criminally investigate his government's COVID response and its corrupt public health policies.
The prime minister has also announced that his administration is not willing to implement the migration dictates included in the EU's newly-accepted migration pact, which aims to establish uniform procedures across borders and ensure fair burden-sharing between member states — or face stinging sanctions.
He has cooperated with Prime Minister Orbán of Hungary by deploying police and armed forces to fortify their countries' mutual border against illegal migrants.
Fico has also spoken out against the political liberalism of the US and Europe, the overreach of non-governmental organizations, and more rights for transgender people.
The Shots Are Heard Round the World
Leaders from across the globe have weighed in on the assassination attempt. Prominent Russian politician Dmitri Medvedev offered a stark perspective:
Aleksandar Vulin, Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia, addressed the danger posed to public figures holding positions different from those of the establishment:
David Kurten, head of the UK's Heritage Party, posted a positive assessment of Fico:
"Every nation needs a leader like him:
Orbán, himself the target of pro-war factions, posted, “I was deeply shocked by the heinous attack against my friend, Prime Minister Robert Fico. We pray for his health and quick recovery! God bless him and his country!” The Hungarian leader said in an interview, subsequent to the post, that after the shooting, he is fighting for peace in the region "alone."
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, president of Ukraine, reacted to the assassination attempt by expressing disdain for the normalization of violence: "We strongly condemn this act of violence against our neighboring partner state's head of government. Every effort should be made to ensure that violence does not become the norm in any country, form, or sphere."
Alleged Assassin
Details are still coming in about Fico’s assailant, 71-year-old Juraq Cintula. He has been described as a progressive activist as well as a fan of NATO and Zelenskyy.
Videos on social media capture Cintula luring Fico toward him by saying "Come here. Over here." Fico went close to the voice when the assassin shot him numerous times at close range.
He was immediately apprehended.
In 2015, Cintula founded a group called "Movement Against Violence." “Violence is often a reaction of people … with the state of affairs. Let’s be dissatisfied, but not violent,” reads a petition circulated by the group. Its declared goal was to "unite people, preserve peace and restore democracy."
Reportedly, Cintula is a writer and poet and a "member of the leftist Rainbow Literary Club."
Within hours of the incident, some news outlets came close to justifying Cintula's actions.
A Sky News reporter said it was worth thinking about who Fico really is — a "populist" and a "nationalist." The reporter accused the prime minister of becoming "very pro-Russian over the years" and lamented that Fico and Orbán had not supported sanctions on Russia — as though they wanted Russia to "win the war."
He accused the Slovakian PM of being a "divisive figure" — within Slovakia and within the EU, so "it’s not surprising that this sort of event might take place."
Coming Events Cast Shadows Before Them
Months ago X users were posting warnings that Fico may be in the line of fire by his opponents. One — @timingnl — posted this six months ago:
Others are recalling the assassination of Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe — shot dead during a campaign speech two years ago — suggesting that attack was a harbinger of the strike against Fico. Like the Slovakian prime minister, they note, Abe did not follow globalist orders, did not mandate vaccines, sent over a million doses back where they came from, and provided Ivermectin for his citizens.
Dr. Barbara Toth has a doctorate in rhetoric and composition from Bowling Green State University. She has taught at universities in the US, China and Saudi Arabia. Her work in setting up a writing center at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahmen University, an all-women's university in Riyadh, has been cited in American journals. Toth has published academic and non-academic articles and poems internationally.
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