Experts shed light on crime against Slovak Premier with controversial views

• Assassination attempt on Slovak Premier Robert Fico and the suspect behind the crime
• 71 year-old-man charged Thursday with attempting to assassinate Prime Minister
• Experts have different views on the crime scene that remain obscure

A few days ago, a sudden assassination attempt against Prime Minister Robert Fico in Handlova, Slovakia caused serious concerns. Although the reasons for the attempt are mysterious to many, some parties interpret it differently.

We had to refer to the opinions of experts on the matter. Professor Dr. Irfan Kaya ÜLGER from Turkiye's Kocaeli University touched upon interesting points in his statement to Azernews.

First, the professor clarified the comments regarding the fact that the names of Western forces were mentioned in the assassination attempt against the country’s premier. He considered such comments unfounded and noted that the suicide was more personal.

“I am of the opinion that political rivalry or personal affairs played a role in the assassination attempt on PM Robert Fico,” the Turkish Professor said.

Irfan Kaya explained the issue more broadly and tried to refine the internal processes. He made a subtle comparison by reviewing the political views of the Slovak Prime Minister.

“The attack on Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico attracted the attention of the whole world to this country. It is a known fact that Prime Minister Fico often criticizes the West for the Ukraine war. In one of his speeches, he said, "I will not send even a single bullet to Ukraine." It is known to everyone that Fico is distant from the economic sanctions announced after the start of the Ukrainian war. His closest friend within the EU is Hungarian President Victor Orban. Because of all this, it does not seem rational to me to say that Prime Minister Fico was assassinated for political reasons and to imply that the West was behind this attack. I am of the opinion that political rivals or personal animosity may have played a role,” the professor said.

Nevertheless, another expert, British political journalist Neil Watson approached the issue completely differently. He was quite certain about the West having a hand in this crime. He said that the murderer shot the Prime Minister several times based on a special assignment and that this case seems more to be related to different parties.

“As with all attempted or realised political assassinations, the suspect is purely a puppet who has been coerced into action by external forces. Although he may or may not have fired the bullets, there are many western powers who would like to see an end to Fico and to make an example of him, particularly aimed at seemingly pro-Russian politicians in former Soviet republics and Warsaw Pact countries,” he underlined.

Doubts about the contribution of the Armenian lobby to the assassination

In a high percentage of terrorist incidents in Europe, the Armenian lobby and the Dashnaks were specially mediated. The fact that the Eastern European countries are keeping pace with Azerbaijan's both domestic and foreign policies and showing an inclination towards Azerbaijan in the South Caucasus undoubtedly worries the pro-Western Armenian lobby.

However, the matching opinions of the experts about the Armenian lobby standing behind the issue did not confirm the matter related to any conspiracy. Both Turkish and British experts said that Armenian lobby organizations had no role in the crime.

Neil Watson said that Armenians currently look at European countries as the beacon of hope, so it seems unrealistic for them to engage in such crimes.

“ASALA committed many outrageous terrorist acts in the 1970s and 80s. But I do not to feel that this is the case now. Armenia is attempting to court the west as its saviour, now that Russian support has ended. It would be very foolish for Armenia to organise any assassination attempt on a politician, as it would demonstrate its aggression,” the expert said.

Further to the experts’ views, the British journalist touched on Robert Fico’s political stance in backdrop of the serious contrast between the West and Russia. He said that the Slovak Prime Minister always tried not to harm the relations with Russia by the dictates of the West.

“Certainly, it is widely regarded that a lack of unity in the EU and NATO is making the possibility of a Russian semi-victory in the war with Ukraine. In addition, Fico has initiated moves to close the Slovak state broadcaster and commented against the forthcoming WHO laws related to possible future pandemics. In my view, he is a pragmatic politician, whose early life was shaped by Soviet influence, and realises that it is better to have acceptable bilateral relations with Russia and maintain the independence of his country rather than being vehemently anti-Russian which could lead to a forcible Russian annexation if they achieve some success in Ukraine. I am sure that the truth will always be clouded, but I am certain his alleged assassin was, in some way, motivated by external Western secret service agents,” he added.

As for Professor Ülger's additional thoughts on the assassination attempt, he related it to his political rivals who did not like him internally. He denied arguments linking the crime to Fico not being anti-Russian at the behest of the West.

“The possibility that Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico may face assassination as a reflection of the political rivalry within the country seems to be a serious alternative. Based on this perspective, forces that want to reconstruct Slovakia's domestic politics may have played a role behind the scenes. But on the other hand, the possibility of personal hostility being the main factor in the attack constitutes another serious possibility. I think the possibility of an attack being carried out just because he is pro-Russian is low. Factors such as a personal grudge or jealousy are stronger motivations. There are other countries within NATO that criticize the US policy in Ukraine. For example, Victor Orban is also criticized for not fully participating in the sanctions. Therefore, I see the strongest options behind the assassination as personal hostility and acting with the aim of reorganizing Slovakian politics,” he concluded.