"Where do you live?"

Fico to blame for assassination? Criticism of ORF and ÖVP

In the National Council on Thursday, the FPÖ criticized ORF's reporting on Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico: The public broadcaster had implied that the politician was partly to blame for the attack, outraged Blue Party MP Christian Hafenecker. Hafenecker finds it "despicable" that ÖVP MP Michael Hammer apparently signaled his approval of the reporting with the interjection "That's right, yes!".

A furore in the National Council over interjections during a speech by Hafenecker: in a debate on the ORF 2023 report, the FPÖ politician criticized how the broadcaster had reported on the assassination attempt on Fico in "ZiB 2". The report suggested that if the politician had not used such rhetoric, the assassination would not have happened, Hafenecker explained the "succus of the report" from his point of view. 

Hammer's apparently approving interjection was the straw that broke the camel's back for Hafenecker. He attacked the ÖVP politician directly, saying that he should be ashamed of himself. "It's his own fault that he was almost shot? Yes, where do you live?" the FPÖ media spokesman asked Hammer.

Hafenecker demands Hammer's resignation
Hafenecker then added in a statement to krone.at: "This inconceivable interjection by ÖVP MP Hammer is tasteless, irreverent and deeply despicable. Yesterday, ÖVP National Council President Sobotka wished the seriously injured Slovakian head of government a speedy recovery and today one of his party colleagues is saying that he himself is to blame for this terrible assassination attempt," said the blue MEP. He urged Hammer to resign.