His life is no longer in danger, but his condition remains serious and requires intensive care. We can consider that his condition is stable, with a positive prognosis, Kalinak told a press conference.

Fico, 59, has been hospitalized since Wednesday, when a man shot him four times, one of them in the abdomen, as he was going to greet his supporters after a government meeting in the mining town of Handlova, in the center of the country.

The Slovak head of Government underwent a five-hour operation on Wednesday and another two hours of surgery on Friday.

The alleged shooter, identified by Slovak media as 71-year-old Juraj Cintula, was charged with attempted premeditated murder and remains in preventive custody.

jg/rgh/nvo