Slovokia’s prime minister is in serious but stable condition following an assassination attempt that was recorded on camera. Police subdued a 71-year-old suspect immediately after he shot Prime Minister Robert Fico five times Wednesday, May 15, in what officials describe as a “politically motivated” attack.

The assailant has been charged been with attempted murder. Deputy Prime Minister Tomas Taraba reported that doctors have stabilized Fico’s condition. 

Slovak President Zuzana Caputova has appealed for a de-escalation of political tensions and plans to convene a meeting with leaders of all parliamentary parties. Peter Pellegrini, an ally of Prime Minister Fico and the president-elect, has called for a pause or moderation in campaigning for the upcoming European Parliament elections.

Pellegrini emphasized the need for solidarity among the nation’s political figures, saying, “If there is anything the people of Slovakia urgently need today, it is at least a basic consensus and unity among Slovaks’ political representatives.”

According to a hospital spokesperson, the prime minister underwent five hours of surgery and will remain in the intensive care unit.

This incident marks the first significant assassination attempt on a European political leader in over two decades.