A Slovak court ruled on Tuesday, October 21st, that the 72-year-old poet Juraj Cintula acted with the intent to disrupt government functioning when he shot Prime Minister Robert Fico four times in May 2024. The attack left the PM seriously injured, though he returned to work two months later.
Cintula, who shouted “It was worth it” after the shooting, was found guilty on terror charges. The court described the crime as particularly serious and his lawyer indicated an appeal is likely.
Fico, currently serving his fourth term as Prime Minister, has faced some opposition for his government’s sovereigntist policymaking—most recently the Brussels expulsion of his Smer party from the European Union-wide Party of European Socialists.
