Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is in a stable but "serious condition" said the doctor on Wednesday. The hospital director said that he was currently in an intensive care unit after five hours in surgery, reported BBC.
Earlier in the day, Deputy Prime Minister Tomas Taraba said that Fico is no longer in life-threatening situation after a deadly attack on the Slovakian PM. The populist PM was hit on stomach after four shots were fired on Wednesday when he was meeting with the supporters in Handlova, around 150 kilometres from the capital Bratislava.
Fico's condition "is truly very serious," said Miriam Lapunikova, director of the F. D. Roosevelt University Hospital in Banska Bystrica, where Mr Fico was admitted during a press conference.
Following the attack, Defence Minister Robert Kalinak said that Fico was "fighting for his life" after being shot several times as he spent several hours in surgery.
But later, Taraba told BBC that Fico was no longer in a life-threatening condition and the surgery had gone "well".
"I guess that at the end he will survive," said the Deputy PM.
Taraba added that Fico was shot "from very close" and that "one bullet went through the stomach and the second one hit the joint", reported BBC.
The suspect was detained at the scene of the shooting, although the police have not yet identified the alleged suspect.
The attack was dubbed as "politically motivated" assassination attempt by Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estoka.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his shock over the "cowardly and dastardly act" and wished a speedy recovery for Fico.
In a social media post on X, Modi said: "Deeply shocked at the news of the shooting at Slovakia’s Prime Minister, H.E. Mr. Robert Fico. I strongly condemn this cowardly and dastardly act and wish PM Fico a speedy recovery. India stands in solidarity with the people of the Slovak Republic."