Fizo's political experience shows that he has a distinct political stance and style that is different from that of most pro-American politicians in the European Union.
▲On May 15, in Banska-Bystrica, Slovakia, medical staff transferred Slovak Prime Minister Fizo, who was injured by shooting, to a local hospital. Photo/Xinhua News Agency
Text | Xu Lifan
According to CCTV News, the Slovak Prime Minister's Office released a message on May 15 local time that Slovak Prime Minister Fizo was shot multiple times and his life was in danger at one point.
Fizo was reportedly giving a speech at the cultural center in the town of Handlova, about 150 kilometers northeast of the capital Bratislava, and when he walked out of the venue after the speech, there were multiple gunshots at the scene, and Fizo was shot in the abdomen, arm and leg.
Fizzo was shot at a 71-year-old man who was arrested on the spot. Due to the long flight to the hospital in Bratislava, the helicopter took Fizo to nearby Banska Bystrica (a city in eastern Slovakia) for emergency surgery.
After the shooting, French President Emmanuel Macron, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Finnish Prime Minister Olpo, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen all strongly condemned the violence.
UN Secretary-General's spokesman Haq also expressed solidarity with Fizo's family and the Slovak people. US President Joe Biden called the incident a "despicable" attack.
Fizo, 59, is one of the most important political figures in Slovakia in the last 20 years or so, and one of the representatives of Europe's independent diplomacy. The Minister of the Interior of Slovakia revealed that "preliminary information clearly indicates that this is politically motivated". This makes the shooting even more confusing.
He served as prime minister 4 times in 18 years
Fizo came from an ordinary Slovak family, his father was a forklift driver and his mother worked in a shoe store. He himself had a doctorate in criminal law and was a member of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia in his early years.
Czechoslovakia was dissolved at the end of 1992 and Slovakia became a sovereign and independent state in 1993.
In 1992, he was first elected to the Slovak National Assembly. In 1999, Fizo founded the Slovak Orientation Party. The party won the 2006 elections, and Fizo became Slovakia's prime minister for the first time.
In his first year in office, Fizo visited China, where he also strongly opposed the deployment of anti-ballistic missile and radar systems by the United States in the Czech Republic and Poland, and withdrew Slovak troops stationed in Iraq at the time.
In March 2012, Fizo became Slovakia's prime minister for the second time after the Orientation party won early parliamentary elections, and it was also the first time that Fizo had formed a government on his own.
In 2016, Fizo became prime minister for the third time. This time, he formed a multi-party coalition government. But in 2018, when a Slovak journalist was shot dead in his home with his fiancée, sparking political turmoil in Slovakia, Fizo finally submitted his resignation and announced his resignation as prime minister.
After the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022, Fizo, who was in opposition at the time, severely criticized the Slovak government for providing Ukraine with S-300 anti-aircraft missiles and MiG-29 fighter jets. Slovakia was the first country in the European Union to support the S-300 in Ukraine, and also contributed half of its MiG fighters.
In 2023, the Orientation Party won another general election, and Fizo became Prime Minister of Slovakia for the fourth time in 18 years. He made it clear that humanitarian aid will continue to be provided to Ukraine, but military aid will be stopped, as well as sanctions against Russia.
Fizo's political experience shows that he has a distinct political stance and style that is different from that of most pro-American politicians in the European Union. One of his golden sayings is particularly hard to forget: "War always comes from the West." ”
▲On May 15, a man was arrested at the scene of the shooting of the Slovak Prime Minister in Handlova, Trenčín Region, Slovakia. Photo/Xinhua News Agency
The suspect has published several poetry collections
According to Slovak media reports, the suspect who was arrested at the scene of the shooting first shouted at Fizo to attract Fizo closer at the time of the incident. When Fizzo came over to shake his hand, the man immediately opened fire.
According to the report, the shooting suspect has published many poetry collections and is a literature lover. But he worked for a private security company in 2016, an experience that may have earned him the legal right to bear arms.
After the incident, the local website interviewed the suspect's son. The other party admitted that his father was not a supporter of Fizo and did not vote for Fizo in last year's Slovak elections. However, he never heard his father attack or assassinate a politician, and his father did not have a mental illness. He had absolutely no idea what his father's intentions and plans were about the shooting.
There is speculation on the Internet that Fizo's assassination may be related to the increasing political polarization of Slovak society in recent years. In recent years, there have been frequent changes of government in Slovakia, and various political forces have quarreled over anti-corruption, illegal immigration, policies toward the United States and Russia, and separation of church and state, and this division has also spread to the people.
The side that adheres to indigenous traditions accuses the pro-Western side of being "liberal fascists" and absorbing neo-Nazis. The pro-Western side accuses the former of being pro-Russian. Political divisions have led to hate speech and violence in Slovakia in recent years.
There are also suspicions of political conspiracy behind Fizzo's assassination. Whether it was a random murder or a conspiracy hidden behind the scenes, it is still inconclusive. The case has now been investigated by the Slovak Criminal Investigation Service, and the truth remains to be revealed in the future.
▲On May 15, Slovakia Handlova, Slovak Prime Minister Fizo attended a press conference before being shot. Photo/IC photo
How Fizo has become an evergreen in politics
Slovakia is a small country with a population of just over 5 million, but Fizo has been particularly concerned by public opinion since he became prime minister for the fourth time last year.
On the one hand, this is because on major international affairs such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Fizo adheres to a clear independent diplomatic position, and like Hungarian Prime Minister Orban, Fizo's position is rare among EU politicians.
On the other hand, Fizo's resurgence in Slovak politics is also considered a symbol of the rupture of the "alliance of values" carefully constructed by the United States. Indeed, this trend was reflected in the recent vote of the United Nations General Assembly on the establishment of a Palestinian state. An analysis of the positions of the voting countries shows that most of the "allies" of the United States, especially those in the so-called "Indo-Pacific region", have "jumped ship" in favor of Palestinian statehood. The differences and arguments between US allies over the Palestinian-Israeli conflict are also becoming more and more evident in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The media usually pays more attention to Fizo's diplomatic stance. But Fizo's success in Slovak politics is also related to his ability to put forward policy proposals that are in line with the interests of his own people.
It is hoped that Fizo will survive this catastrophe and continue to play a greater role in enhancing China-Sri Lanka relations and returning to pragmatic diplomacy for the EU in the future.
Written by Xu Lifan (Columnist)
Editor / Chi Daohua
Proofreading / Wang Xin
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