Man Who Shot Slovak PM Says He Wanted Change of Policy on Ukraine
The Facts
Juraj Cintula, the man accused of shooting Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, said "he decided to act" because he disagreed with the government's policies on a range of issues, but primarily its stance on Ukraine, according to court documents released on Thursday.
The nine-page court filing cites the 71-year-old suspect as stating that he did not intend to kill the Slovak leader — only that he "wanted to injure him and damage his health."
The Spin
While this was a heinous attack and is rightly condemned, it cannot be swept under the rug that Fico's policies in Slovakia had a part to play in this. Those not only include shouldering up to Russia's Vladimir Putin and Hungary's Viktor Orban, but also his pushing through of controversial reforms that have alienated many in his country.
While Slovakia has undergone the same processes of polarization that have swept through much of Europe and the West, likely a contributing factor in this attack, Western leaders need to be more careful in alienating leaders like Fico. Such moves only work to decrease the unity in the EU and bring people like Fico even further into Russia's sphere of influence.
