Fico pledged to be back at work in a month and said he felt "no hatred" towards his attacker, but he blamed the opposition: "It's evident that he only was a messenger of evil and political hatred."

Robert Fico was shot multiple times and gravely wounded Wednesday, but his deputy prime minister said he believed Fico would survive.

The election was a test for the small central European country's support for neighboring Ukraine. The win by Robert Fico could strain a fragile unity in the European Union and NATO.