The defendant for the assassination attempt on the Slovak prime minister Robert Ficho was yesterday remanded in custody by a Slovak court on suspicion of fleeing the country.

Siddula, who worked as a security guard and had also published poems, was known in his area as a likeable, if eccentric, man with often conflicting political views.

As the Guardian reports, he is sometimes seen praising a pro-Russian paramilitary group for its “ability to act without state approval,” while later adopting pro-Ukrainian views, which have grown stronger since Russia’s invasion.

At the same time, in his private conversations, Sidula expresses racist views about the Roma in Slovakia, a popular topic among the country’s far-right parties.

Neighbors testified that he seemed angry about the increasing attacks on freedom of speech under Fico’s leadership, a matter of great concern to Slovakia’s left-wing opposition.

The assassination attempt on Wednesday exposed the deeply polarized political environment in the country.

“We are now really becoming the black hole of Europe,” commented a Slovakian history professor, referring to a comment by former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who was the first to use the phrase about Slovakia in 1997 after her son’s abduction of the then president Kovacs and the murder of a key witness in the case.

Political violence is a grim phenomenon in Slovakia’s recent history, but this latest is by far the most serious.

Other European leaders close to Fitzo, a divisive and populist politician who has been criticized for attacking independent media, appear keen to capitalize on his assassination attempt.

Speaking on Slovakian state radio, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán linked Fico’s views on the war in Ukraine to the assassination attempt.

Since Fico’s return to power, “Slovakia has walked the path of peace and that has been a great help to Hungary,” Orban said. “Now we have lost that support. We know that the perpetrator was a pro-war person,” he added.

Orban, known for conspiracy theories, has cultivated a relationship with the Kremlin for a decade and has repeatedly argued that the West should stop providing support to Ukraine.

In his radio interview, he argued that the assassination attempt was part of a geopolitical dispute: “It is not unreasonable to link the assassination attempt to the war,” he said.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has praised Kremlin aide Fichu, suggesting he was targeted for his views on the war in Ukraine. “Of course, he became a target. There are only a few like him in Europe. And they have to take care of their safety,” he said.

The main candidate of the opposition party Progressive Slovakia for the European Parliament elections, said that foreign politicians should not misinform citizens and should not try to capitalize on the event.

The assassination attempt has also raised questions about the failure of Slovakia’s security services, while sparking fears in other European capitals that similar incidents could happen there.

Slovak authorities have launched an investigation into the reflexes of the security forces. A source said that the security services were caught sleeping and that Siddula was not known to them.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Thursday he received threats after the assassination attempt on his Slovak counterpart.

In Belgium, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo reported to the police a radio producer who urged listeners to “drop him”.