Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico, was shot multiple times on Wednesday at a political event in Handlova. Fico was greeting supporters ahead of Slovakia’s June 8 elections when a man with “a clear political motivation,” according to the interior minister, fired five shots at him.

Doctors fought for Fico’s life for several hours after the shooting, describing his condition as “extraordinarily serious.” But the doctors eventually saved him from an untimely death, according to Deputy Prime Minister Tomas Taraba.

Would-be assassin: The shooter was 71-year-old Juraj Cintula. There’s little in Cintula’s background to indicate he would try to murder anyone, and his family was shocked by the attempt.

Cintula is a member of the Association of Slovak Writers and founded a local literary club. He posted some political videos online several years ago. In one he complains about mass migration; Fico is also against migration. He also appears to have founded the Movement Against Violence, and several of his videos condemn political violence.

Why it matters: The attempted murder of the leader of a European country is shaking the Continent. In an age where governments are watching their populations more closely than ever before, we can expect this to lead to increased security measures. It could push Europe another step in an authoritarian direction.