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Prime Minister Robert Fico of Slovakia underwent an additional surgery, officials said on Friday, as questions continued to swirl about the assassination attempt<\/a> that put him in the hospital.<\/p>\n The authorities have kept details to a minimum about the attack, about the assailant and about who is leading the country while the prime minister is hospitalized, even as shock over the shooting has begun to give way to trepidation over what comes next for the deeply polarized country.<\/p>\n On Friday afternoon, Slovakia\u2019s deputy prime minister, Robert Kalinak, said that the government was carrying on, telling a news conference that \u201call our work and tasks are being done.\u201d He also offered an update on Mr. Fico, who he said had undergone a nearly two-hour surgery but was conscious.<\/p>\n \u201cI can see progress,\u201d he told reporters outside the hospital where Mr. Fico is being treated, adding, \u201cI am in a much better mood now.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Mr. Fico remains in serious but stable condition, according to the hospital director, Miriam Lapunikova. She said it was not yet known whether the prime minister would require additional procedures.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The brief afternoon update \u2014 the first from officials in nearly 24 hours \u2014 was unlikely to put to rest the many lingering questions in the aftermath of the attack.<\/p>\n The authorities still have not named the suspect \u2014 whom Slovakia\u2019s interior minister described as a \u201clone wolf\u201d radicalized after last month\u2019s presidential election<\/a> \u2014 nor said when he will appear in court to face a charge of attempted premeditated murder<\/a>. They have called the shooting politically motivated and urged the public and politicians to dial down political rhetoric and hatred as investigations play out.<\/p>\n Local news media reported on Friday that police officers had escorted the suspect to his home in the central Slovak town of Levice, where they searched the premises and seized documents. The police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Details of Mr. Fico\u2019s injuries and condition also have been closely guarded. Local news outlets reported that doctors will meet on Monday to determine whether the prime minister can be moved to the capital, Bratislava, from the intensive care unit of the hospital in central Slovakia where he underwent surgery. Mr. Kalinak, though, said on Friday that it was too soon to start thinking about that.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a serious situation,\u201d he told the news conference, expressing \u201cfull trust\u201d in the medical team at the hospital, in Banska Bystrica.<\/p>\n He also appeared to dodge a question about who exactly is making high-level decisions for the government. There has been no formal announcement about who is in charge in Mr. Fico\u2019s absence, although local news media have quoted ministers saying that Mr. Kalinak had been leading meetings.<\/p>\n \u201cHe is still the prime minister and is acting in the capacity he can,\u201d Mr. Kalinak said of Mr. Fico, noting, however, that the capacity was limited. \u201cI have never seen a stronger man.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The authorities are mounting two investigations \u2014 one into the attacker, the other into the response of security forces at the scene \u2014 and urged against rushing to judgment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Slovakian officials have acknowledged that there is criticism over the actions of officers. Local news outlets have published interviews with security experts analyzing the movements of the gunman and officers\u2019 responses to try to understand how the attacker could have fired at least five times at close range before being subdued.<\/p>\n The inquiries are unfolding against a backdrop of deep political divisions<\/a> in Slovakia. Mr. Fico has been pushing a strongly contested overhaul of the judiciary to limit the scope of corruption investigations, and he has moved to reshape the national broadcasting system to purge what the government calls liberal bias.<\/p>\n And senior officials in Mr. Fico\u2019s governing Smer party have, in effect, accused liberal journalists and opposition politicians of motivating the assassination attempt through their intense criticism of government actions. Still, Mr. Pellegrini, an ally of Mr. Fico\u2019s who was elected last month<\/a>, has been among the loudest voices calling for calm.<\/p>\n Amid the dearth of information from the authorities, speculation over the attacker\u2019s identity and motivations has been rife, prompting the Interior Ministry to repeatedly warn against<\/a> spreading \u201cunverified\u201d details.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n