Slovak PM Fico in serious but stable condition, can speak a little, says ally

FILE PHOTO: Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico looks on during a press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin, Germany, January 24, 2024. REUTERS/Nadja Wohlleben/File Photo

BRATISLAVA/BANSKA BYSTRICA, Slovakia (Reuters) -Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico remains in a serious but stable condition and is able to speak a little, the country's president-elect said on Thursday, a day after an assassination attempt that sent shock waves across Europe.

The shooting was the first major assassination attempt on a European political leader for more than 20 years, and has drawn international condemnation. Political analysts and lawmakers say it has exposed an increasingly febrile and polarised political climate both in Slovakia and across Europe.