Who’s Robert Fico, the populist Slovak prime minister wounded in a taking pictures?

BUDAPEST: Slovakian Major Minister Robert Fico is in lifestyle-threatening problem simply after remaining wounded in a taking photos after a political event Wednesday afternoon, an episode of violence that punctuated his decades-long job in politics.

Fico, 59, was born in 1964 in what was then Czechoslovakia. A member of the Communist Get collectively proper earlier than the dissolution of communism, he took a laws diploma in 1986 and was 1st elected to Slovakia’s parliament in 1992 as a member of the Get together of the Democratic Nonetheless left.

He served for numerous many years within the Nineties as a governmental agent representing the Slovak Republic simply earlier than the European Courtroom docket of Human Rights and the European Fee of Human Rights. In 1999, he grew to develop into chairman of the Smer (Course) get collectively, of which he has been a pivotal determine ever contemplating that.

He and Smer have most regularly been described as remaining-populist, though he has additionally been in distinction to right-wing politicians just like the nationalist key minister of neighboring Hungary, Viktor Orbán.

Fico returned to electrical energy in Slovakia final yr, acquiring previously served two instances as key minister, from 2006 to 2010 and once more from 2012 to 2018. His third phrase manufactured him the longest-serving head of federal authorities within the heritage of Slovakia, a European Union and NATO member.

Instantly after 5 a number of years in opposition, Fico’s get collectively acquired parliamentary elections final yr on a pro-Russian and anti-American platform. He vowed to ship an finish to Slovakia offering Ukraine with armed service help because it battled Russia’s entire-scale invasion, and has argued that NATO and the US provoked Moscow into battle.

Quickly after his election victory, the brand new federal authorities instantly halted arms deliveries to Ukraine. 1000’s usually took to the streets all through Slovakia to rally in opposition to Fico’s pro-Russian and different tips, which incorporates methods to amend the penal code to take away a unique anti-graft prosecutor and to accumulate deal with of public media.

Fico’s return to electrical energy prompted concern between his critics that he and his celebration — which had very lengthy been tainted by scandal — would lead Slovakia absent from its professional-Western system. He vowed to go after a “sovereign” abroad protection, promised a tough stance in the direction of migration and non-governmental firms, and campaigned in opposition to LGBTQ+ authorized rights.

He earned a reputation for his tirades versus journalists, and confronted authorized expenses in 2022 for allegedly producing a prison group and misuse of electrical energy. In 2018, he and his govt stepped down amid controversy quickly after Slovakian investigative journalist Ján Kuciak was murdered alongside together with his fiancée. Kuciak skilled been reporting on tax-related crimes implicating high-level Slovak politicians.

Fico is married and has 1 child.