A 71-year-old man, described as being weird and angry by those who knew him, was charged with attempting to murder Prime Minister Robert Fico of Slovakia by shooting him at point-blank range. The man had written dark, erotic poetry and self-published a book filled with racist sentiments against Roma people, as well as challenging why Slovakia had not produced a terrorist similar to Anders Behring Breivik. Many who knew him were not surprised by the attack, citing his cranky behavior and anger as signs that something like this was bound to happen. While details surrounding the case have been kept under embargo, the man is widely being identified as Juraj C.
Despite the political divide in Slovakia, the man was not clearly aligned with either side, choosing instead to jump on causes that allowed him to express his anger. One cause he did stick with for decades, however, was his hostility towards the Roma population in Slovakia. The man was known for his negative poetry and his constant flip-flopping on issues. He went from supporting a paramilitary group that was pro-Russia to vehemently opposing Russia and supporting Ukraine, even accusing his fellow club members of working for the Kremlin.
The man’s erratic behavior and viewpoints have given politicians in Slovakia plenty of information to spin however they see fit. Some have suggested he may have been affiliated with the L.G.B.T.Q. community, based on the name of the literary club he belonged to, but members of the club deny any connection to such causes. His troubled past and perceived injustice done to him in life seemed to fuel his anger and fuel his desire to speak out against perceived wrongs, though the specifics of his motivations remain unclear. Despite casting himself as a rebel against the Communist regime, those who knew him in that era claim he was kept at arm’s length by activists for being too radical and unreliable.
In his own writings, the man seemed to have identified with a notorious murderer, suggesting that the burden became too much to bear, leading to a breaking point. The shooting of the Prime Minister, while shocking, was not entirely unexpected by some who knew him, further highlighting the troubled nature of the man’s life. The investigation is ongoing, and details remain scarce given the prosecutor’s decision to restrict information about the case. The man’s past actions and writings paint a picture of a deeply troubled individual who held strong, often contradictory views and seemed to struggle with being part of any particular group or ideology.
