Europe in shock: What next after shooting of Slovak leader Fico?

The Debate

A black swan moment. The assassination attempt of populist Slovak leader Robert Fico has shocked both Slovaks and Europeans. But in hindsight it is easy to point to security lapses and a climate of verbal violence in a country that finds itself increasingly polarised. Our guests take a look.

When British member of parliament Jo Cox was assassinated by a deranged constituent during the 2016 Brexit campaign, that too seemed like a black swan moment. Are these isolated cases or part of a broader trend?

And who stands to benefit from these heinous crimes?

Slovakia’s government has asked senior leaders in its own ranks to tone down accusations that the opposition and the media are to blame. More broadly, as the whole continent gets set to vote in the EU elections, how much fear and loathing can we expect to see on this campaign trail?

Produced by Alessandro Xenos, Guillaume Gougeon and Imen Mellaz.