Editorial: Le Monde

• Prime Minister Robert Fico was the victim of a gunshot attack, with the perpetrator being a 71-year-old man known for expressing his fury towards political and social trends on social media.
• Fico's condition is 'stabilized' but remains 'critical'.
• An especially grave situation for Slovakia due to the existing toxic political climate, especially with the European Parliament elections only three weeks away.
• The political climate in Slovakia is heavily influenced with hostility, revanchism and political polarization.

Conclusion: The assassination attempt on Prime Minister Fico can be seen as a warning for all democracies grappling with increasing political polarization; verbal or written violence can escalate into physical violence.

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