Associated Press: European Parliamentary Elections Held Amid Attacks on Politicians

The European Union is preparing for parliamentary elections under the shadow of recent attacks on several politicians, including the assassination attempt on Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico. According to the Associated Press, the shooting of Fico on Wednesday afternoon, May 15, has heightened concerns and raised the question of whether the elections scheduled for next month can conclude without violence and conflict. The news agency added that the assassination attempt on one of Europe's controversial figures, Robert Fico, serves as a serious warning for the European Union and has alarmed all member state governments ahead of the elections from June 6 to 9. Additionally, Slovakia's Defense Minister stated that Robert Fico's life is no longer in danger. In the 27 EU member states, the political landscape is increasingly multipolar; on one hand, mainstream parties are campaigning for parliamentary seats, and on the other, populists and extremists are behaving aggressively. Recently, Alexander De Croo, the Prime Minister of Belgium, received a threatening message regarding an assassination attempt. Although he has filed a complaint with the police, he emphasized in an interview with a state media outlet that such incidents are no laughing matter. Last week in Germany, a prominent politician was also injured in the head and neck area. A week prior, a candidate from the Social Democratic Party led by Olaf Scholz was assaulted during campaign activities for next month's European Parliament elections and required surgery. The German Criminal Police Office reported an increase in attacks that have caused physical harm to politicians in the country. Although attacks on German politicians have been more frequent over the past five years, they have surged in the context of the terrorist attacks by Hamas militants on Israel on October 7 of last year and the ongoing war in Gaza. The German government also reported in January of this year that attacks on politicians in the country have doubled since the 2019 European parliamentary elections. The number of such attacks in 2023 shows a 53 percent increase compared to the previous year. According to recorded documents, 22 politicians have been attacked so far this year, while the total number of recorded attacks in the entire previous year was 27.