Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico

On 15 May 2024, Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico was shot and critically injured in the central Slovak town of Handlová, in front of its House of Culture after a government meeting. He was hospitalised and stabilised after emergency surgery. The perpetrator, 71-year-old Juraj Cintula, was detained by police at the scene. During interrogation, he stated that he acted primarily because of the Fico government's opposition to military assistance to Ukraine during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. On 21 October 2025, Cintula was convicted of a terrorist attack and sentenced by the Specialized Criminal Court to 21 years' imprisonment for the attack. This decision is not final and if Cintula appeals, it will be reviewed by the Supreme Court of the Slovak Republic.