Slovakian police recently charged a suspect with the attempted assassination of Prime Minister Robert Fico on May 15, emphasizing the ongoing risks to high profile individuals, particularly as worldwide elections heat up–including the upcoming presidential election in the United States–and as tensions remain high due to global events, such as the war in Ukraine and the crisis between Israel and Hamas.
- Prime Minister Fico remains in serious condition after being shot five times by an individual who told law enforcement officers his action was motivated by disagreement with the government and its reforms.
- The gunman lunged at the Prime Minister after he stopped to talk to a crowd during an off-site government meeting in the central Slovak town of Handlova. Footage of the attack shows an individual firing at the Prime Minister from close range across a security barrier.
- The Prime Minister, who returned to power last year, has launched several controversial policy changes which have sparked protest in recent weeks, including removing the special prosecutors office, which is focused on corruption, as well as attempting to shut down public service broadcaster RSTV and replace it with a national broadcaster under tighter control of the government. Critics also call Prime Minister Fico a populist, whose pro-Russian leanings pose a major threat to the country.
As details continue to be released about the incident, we would like to reflect on possible similarities witnessed in July 2022 during the assassination of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Concentric’s Global Intelligence Team worked with Chief Security Officer Jim Morgan, a 24-year veteran of the U.S. Secret Service, to identify lessons learned for high-net-worth security programs following the tragic event. Mr. Morgan analyzes key takeaways from Abe’s assassination for private security teams, including the importance of preparation, evacuation plans, and trained security personnel.
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