Slovak Prime Minister is stable after ‘miracles’ in the hospital as suspect appears in court

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico's health stable after assassination attempt, suspect in court, sparking concerns over country's future.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico 's condition was serious but stable on May 18 as the man accused of trying to assassinate him faced his first court appearance.

Two hours of surgery on May 17 to remove dead tissue from Fico's multiple gunshot wounds led to a good prognosis for his recovery but he was still not well enough to travel to a hospital in the capital, Bratislava, government ministers said outside University F D Roosevelt Hospital in Banska Bystrica, where Fico was taken by helicopter after the shooting.

“Several miracles have occurred in Banska Bystrica in recent days coming from the hands of doctors, nurses and the personnel at the Roosevelt Hospital," Defence Minister Robert Kalinak said.

Mr. Fico, 59, was attacked as he greeted supporters following a government meeting Wednesday in the former coal mining town of Handlova. The suspect was tackled to the ground and arrested.

The update on Mr. Fico's health was issued as the man accused of attempting to assassinate him made his first court appearance, according to Slovak state media.

Prosecutors were seeking an order from Slovakia's Specialised Criminal Court to detain the suspect.

Prosecutors told police not to publicly identify the man or release other details about the case, but unconfirmed media reports said he was a 71-year-old retiree known as an amateur poet who may have once worked as a mall security guard in the country's southwest.