The Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico is in “extremely serious condition” after having been shot “five times” in a shooting which took place this Wednesday at the end of a Government meeting in the town of Handlová.

The police have identified Juraj Cintulaa 71-year-old man, as perpetrator of the attack. He is a poet and, according to the local press, he wanted to found a left-wing political party. He had already criticized Prime Minister Fico and his government on social networks, but even after being arrested he confirmed it again and assured the camera, in a video released by the Slovak police, “not agreeing with the policy of the government”.

Several local media outlets suggest that the attacker was walking through the house of culture before the government meeting ended when he emerged into the crowd shouting “Robo, come here,” and shot Fico.

Born in the Slovak city of Levice, he is, according to local media, poet and one of the founders of a literary club in which he has been actively involved since 2005. He wrote three collections of poetry, a novel was published in 2010 and a book in 2015. Since 2015 he has been a member of the Association of Slovak Writers.

Eight years ago, he would have tried to create a political party called “Movement against violence”. At that time he said that “violence is often a reaction of people, as a form of expression of simple discontent with the situation. Let’s be dissatisfied, but not violent!”.

In the past worked as a security guard, according to the Slovak press. Therefore, he has a weapons license.

This attack not only poses a serious threat to Fico’s life but also, the government notes, is a direct blow to Slovak democracy.

The president of Slovakia, Zuzana Caputova, assured this Wednesday that “a physical attack against the Prime Minister is primarily an attack against a person, but it is also an attack on democracy.”