A special court in Banská Bystrica opened proceedings on Tuesday against Juraj Cintula, the 72-year-old who shot Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico at close range during a public walkabout in Handlová on 15 May 2024. Prosecutors have reclassified the attack from attempted murder to terrorism, a charge that carries a potential life sentence. Entering the courtroom without covering his face, Cintula—a poet and retired mine worker—shouted “Long live democracy, long live free culture.” Investigators say he fired five handgun rounds from about 1.2 metres, striking Fico four times in the abdomen and torso. The defendant told police he aimed to wound, not kill, in protest at the premier’s policies on Ukraine, the media and cultural funding. Fico, 60, underwent two major surgeries and was absent from court; he has said he forgives the assailant and will testify only if summoned. The shooting deepened polarisation in the EU and NATO member state, where the prime minister’s nationalist coalition has faced mass protests over closer ties with Russia and reforms critics call anti-democratic. The case file runs to 18 volumes and 6,200 pages. The court has set two initial hearing days this week, with additional sessions likely before judges decide whether Cintula’s actions amount to an act intended to paralyse the Slovak government.