Fico is not just a politician. He has been the central figure of Slovak politics for the past twenty years. Ruthless and polarizing, he has defined the key themes of Slovak political life and served as the main power broker of four governing coalitions, most recently making an impressive comeback in October 2023. ...

The effects of overwrought polarization have been cutting both ways. An acquaintance of mine, a prominent Slovak journalist, has essentially retreated from public life this year after suffering a torrent of online abuse and being physically attacked by a stranger on the streets of Bratislava, normally a quaint and safe city. Just last month, Fico’s advisor Erik Kaliňák and his wife were shouted and cursed at by strangers in a viral video.

Whatever happens next after today’s attack, Slovak politics will never be the same again. In Twitter’s fever swamps, one can already see accounts connecting the assassination attempt to Fico’s policy views, from Ukraine to Covid. Of course, it is too early to know what motivated the gunman. But besides wishing the prime minister a full and speedy recovery, one may also hope that this event will provide an impetus for Slovakia and other societies to step from the brink of the cold civil war brought about by the politics of the past decades. That, however, is merely a hope — certainly not a prediction.