Pjotr Sauer

Slovakia’s security council is set to meet this morning to discuss further action following the shock shooting that has been described by officials as the darkest day in the country’s modern history.

As Slovakians commuted to work this morning, many were still grappling with the news of the assassination attempt.

“I don’t have words for this. This should never have happened in the 21st century no matter who you vote for,” said Mária Szabó, a shopkeeper in the capital, Bratislava.

“Our country is heading in the wrong direction,” she added.

Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, said that “the United States condemns the shooting of Slovak Prime Minister Fico.”

“Our thoughts are with him, his family, and the Slovak people, and we wish him a full recovery,” he added.

Robert Fico’s condition is stabilised but remains serious, a hospital director said today, Reuters reported.

“At this point his condition is stabilised but is truly very serious, he will be in the intensive care unit,” she said.

Robert Kaliňák, Slovakia’s defence minister, said this morning at the Banská Bystrica hospital that Robert Fico’s condition is still very serious but that doctors managed to stabilise him overnight, Dennik N reported.

Good morning and welcome back to the blog.

• Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico, was shot on Wednesday. He was taken to hospital and underwent surgery.

• Tomáš Taraba, a deputy prime minister, told the BBC that Fico’s surgery had gone “well” and “I guess that at the end he will survive”.

• Earlier, Slovakia’s defence minister, Robert Kaliňák, said the prime minister was in an “extraordinarily serious” condition and that medical workers in the city of Banská Bystrica were fighting for his life.

• The attack, which came as Europe prepares for elections in June and amid a rise in attacks on politicians, was widely condemned by European leaders.

• A suspect was arrested.

• Local reports identified the alleged gunman as Juraj C, a 71-year-old.

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