Slovakia's Prime Minister, Robert Fizzo, is said to be fighting for his life after being shot multiple times in an assassination attempt. Mr. Fizzo had been attending a government meeting. As he spoke to crowds afterwards, he was shot five times before being bundled into a car by security personnel. He's been in surgery for three and a half hours. The suspect has been detained by police, and Slovak ministers have said the attack was politically motivated. It took place in the central Slovakia town of Handle all over. Slovakia borders Ukraine, and Mr. Fizzo has been a divisive figure, considered by some as authoritarian and Russia-leaning. Well, tonight we'll hear from our Europe editor, Katja Adler in Brussels, on the significance of this attack on a European leader. But first, Bethany Bell is in Slovakia for us now. Bethany.

There's a real sense of confusion and shock here in Slovakia. The Slovak President has urgent people to wait for the results of the police investigation and not make what she called quick judgments. But many people here are worried that these shootings will deepen the divisions in an already deeply polarized country.

This was the moment a European leader was shot as he greeted members of the public in front of a local community center. Robert Fizzo was shot in the stomach and in the arm. His security team half dragged, half carried him to his car.

A few meters away amidst the chaos, security officials push a man to the ground.

The suspect is believed to be in his 70s. Witnesses say he shot at the Prime Minister several times.

I heard three shots. It was quick, one by one, like if you throw fire crackers on the ground. I saw a scratch on the Prime Minister's head, and then he fell next to the barrier. It's a nightmare.

The 59-year-old was flown by helicopter to hospital, where he had emergency surgery. Officials said his condition was critical. A few hours later, a somber President addressed the nation.

I'm shocked. We are all by the terrible and vicious attack on Prime Minister Robert Fizzo. A physical attack on the Prime Minister is, first of all, an attack on a person, but it is also an attack on democracy. Hateful rhetoric, which we can see in society, leads to hateful actions. Please stop it.

Robert Fizzo, seen here before the attack, is regarded as a divisive figure, a populist who's accused of being authoritarian and been too close to Russia. The attack has been widely condemned by all sides in Slovakia.

The attack on the Prime Minister is terrible, uncivilized, and brutal.

Pure evil. This should provoke just one reaction, unite all society against evil, hate, and violence.

The suspect is now in police custody. The authorities communities are searching for a motive. Bethany Bell, BBC News, Bratislava.

Let's go straight to our Europe editor, Katya Adler, who's in Brussels for us in a shocking attack. Katya, and as Bethany was saying, inevitably much speculation as to the motive.

Yeah, alarming is how Joe Biden put it this afternoon. And of course, a lot of speculation, as you say, about what might have happened. And sadly, it's symptomatic, Rita, I think in these divisive times that we live in, in the increase of threats and attacks against politicians. We know this in the UK. In recent weeks, there's been a string of assault on German politicians as well. But Slovakia, this is this small EU country in Central Europe. It's not used to being in the spotlight, but it has been coming under increasing international attention of late for two main reasons. One, because as we've been hearing, Robert Fizzo is a deeply controversial politician in in a deeply divided society. In the last weeks, thousands of people took to the streets to protest against his policies. We've heard that the Interior Ministry has blamed the attack today on political motivation. There is video right now in the media in Slovakia of the alleged shooter, which appears to back up that claim. The other reason that Slovakia has been coming under attention as well is because Europe has war on the continent. Again, Ukraine is fighting for its existence.

Slovakia borders Ukraine. But Brussels is very worried about the direction it fears that Robert Fizzo is taking his country. On the campaign trail this autumn, he said that sanctions should be ended against Moscow. He said that military aid to Ukraine should be released. In the past, he's expressed admiration for Vladimir Putin. Now, he softened that stance, but he is extremely close to Viktor Orbán of Hungary. Now, he's that illiberal Prime Minister known with his close ties to the Kremlin. But despite all of this, Rita, tonight, after this dreadful attack, the concern that I'm hearing here tonight in Brussels about Robert Fizzo, who's known so well after so many years at so many EU summits, is concerned for his family and concerned for his well-being.