Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico is in life-threatening condition following a shooting attack, the TASR news agency reported, citing a government statement.
The shooting took place after a Cabinet meeting in the town of Handlová.
Witnesses told the TA3 news channel that at least four shots were heard near the House of Culture in Handlová when Fico went outside after the meeting to mingle with people and shake hands. One shot hit him in the chest.
Video from the scene showed people dragging the politician into his limousine to take him to safety.
The police announced that the attacker had been taken into custody.
TASR said a helicopter had been dispatched to take the injured politician to hospital.
The police evacuated the cultural centre where the government meeting was being held. Handlová lies about 190 kilometres north-west of the capital Bratislava.
Shock and condemnation
The shooting was quickly condemned by political leaders in Slovakia and beyond.
Slovakia's out-going President Zuzana Čaputová posted on X that she was "utterly shocked by today's brutal attack on Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico, which I condemn in strongest possible terms," .
"I wish him lot of strength in this critical moment and early recovery. My thoughts are also with his family and close ones," she wrote in English.
Slovakia's president-elect Peter Pellegrini called the attack an "unprecedented threat to Slovak democracy."
"If we express political opinions with guns in the public squares, and not in the polling stations, we are jeopardizing everything we have built together in the 31 years of Slovak independence," the Social Democrat politician warned.
Pellegrini cancelled a trip abroad. He is considered a close ally of Fico, even though he founded his own party, Hlas, four years ago as a splinter from Fico's left-wing populist Smer. He won the presidential election in April and will succeed the outgoing liberal president Zuzana Čaputová in June.
The leaders of other European nations also expressed their dismay at the shooting.
"Shocking news from Slovakia. Robert, my thoughts are with you in this very difficult moment," wrote Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on X.
"I was deeply shocked by the heinous attack against my friend, Prime Minister Robert Fico", wrote Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. "We pray for his health and quick recovery! God bless him and his country!"
"I wish the prime minister to get well as soon as possible," said Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala. "We must not tolerate violence, it must have no place in society".
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wrote on X that he was "deeply shocked by the news of the cowardly attack. Violence must not be existant in European politics. In these hours, my thoughts are with Robert Fico, his family and the citizens of Slovakia."
The secretary general of the NATO military alliance Jens Stoltenberg wrote on X that he was "shocked and appalled" by the attack. Slovakia joined NATO in 2004, the same year it joined the European Union. Similar statements were made by the leaders of Belgium Romania and several other nations.
Fico's latest term as prime minister began in October. The 59-year-old previously held the post of prime minister from 2006 to 2010 and 2012 to 2018.
