Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s hometown of Topolcany on an afternoon in May.
Photographer: Michaela Nagyidaiova/BloombergSlovak Premier's Video Return Heightens Tensions Before EU Vote
The attempted assassination of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico last month is heightening tensions in the country ahead of EU parliamentary election
In the hometown of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, the sight of locals lingering in the sun-dappled main square last month offered little hint of the political tumult unleashed by the assassination attempt on the nation's leader days before.
But in Topolcany, a town of 25,000 in the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains, Fico’s polarizing politics is never far off. A 77-year-old retiree who identified himself only as Jan called Fico “the best we have” — and in his praise began to echo the premier’s talking points, including what he calls the folly of Europe’s support for Ukraine.