Slovak PM Fico criticises rivals as he visits town where he was shot

HANDLOVA, Slovakia (Reuters) - Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico on Friday visited the town where a gunman shot him in May and accused progressive opponents of fuelling political tension that he said could lead to more attacks.

Fico, a 59-year-old four-time prime minister, received four gunshots to his abdomen that initially left him in a critical condition. The attacker has said he had aimed to hurt, not kill Fico, and disagreed with his policies, court documents show. He is facing terrorism-related charges and life in prison.

The attempted assassination, in the central Slovak town of Handlova, has deepened political tensions in the European country, and Fico and his government of leftist and far-right parties have stepped up criticism of progressive opponents.

Fico returned to Handlova, a town of 17,000, on government business for the first time since the incident and hit out at opponents again.

"Believe me, I have trauma, but not from the assassination attempt," he told reporters when asked about the attack.

"I am traumatized by the opposition and some of the media, at what they are doing. Because they are creating an atmosphere that can lead to a repeat of a similar story."

Fico has called his attacker an opposition activist.

Fico's government has sought to reshape state institutions since taking power last year, drawing sharp criticism from the opposition and public protests, along with warnings from the European Union over rule of law and media freedom.

His government stopped state military aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russia right after taking office. At home, it cancelled a special prosecutor's office this year, remodelled the public broadcaster, and is re-shaping the cultural sphere with museum and theatre firings.

Fico has long-been critical of the main Slovak news outlets and their coverage, preferring to spread his message on social media by posting his own videos, and he has railed against progressive ideologies.

The government said last month that criticism from the EU's executive body, the European Commission, over the rule of law in Slovakia was misleading and some evaluations were based on "anti-government" newspapers.

(Reporting by Radovan Stoklasa, writing by Jason Hovet, editing by Philippa Fletcher)