EU election held under the shadow of assassination attempt

Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot on May 15 (AP)

Voters in Slovakia, Italy and other European Union nations are casting their ballots on the third day of elections for the European Parliament, with populist and far-right parties looking to make gains across the 27-member bloc.

In Slovakia, the election was overshadowed by an attempt to assassinate populist Prime Minister Robert Fico on May 15, sending shockwaves through the nation of 5.4 million and reverberating throughout Europe.