PM Fico Shot, Now En Route To Hospital-Dennik N

Slovakia's Dennik N reportingthat PM Robert Fico has been shot, and is now en route to hospital. Dennik N: "Shots [were fired] in front of the House of Culture, where the government was meeting, when the prime minister came among the [public]. Denníka N reporter Daniel Vražda did not see the incident, but he was close and heard several shots. Then he saw the prime minister being lifted from the ground by security guards and loaded into a car and driven away. According to witnesses who were at the scene, Fico came to the [public] who greeted him and then several shots were fired. Fico then fell to the ground. The alleged assailant was pacified and detained by the police. The police cordoned off the area, the cultural center was evacuated. Security took care of the safety of the other members of the government."

• As noted previously (see 'SLOVAKIA: Shots Fired At Gov't Away-Day Meeting, No Further Details At Present', 1403BST), Slovakia has experienced notable political turbulence recently. Some domestically and in Brussels have criticised Fico and his gov't for a percieved shift towards a more illiberal style of gov't, akin to that of PM Viktor Orban in Hungary.