Danish PM attacked by man in Copenhagen
The Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen, was reportedly “shocked” following an assault on her in Copenhagen, according to her office.
The incident occurred in a central square of the city, where an individual approached her and struck her. The assailant has since been apprehended.
Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, condemned the attack as a “despicable act” contrary to European values.
The Prime Minister’s office released a statement confirming the assault without providing further details. Police have arrested a suspect and are investigating the incident, refraining from disclosing additional information at this time.
The motive behind the attack remains unknown. Witnesses Marie Adrian and Anna Ravn recounted observing the assault to the local newspaper BT, describing how a man approached and forcefully pushed the Prime Minister, causing her to fall.
They said that while it was a “strong push” the prime minister did not hit the ground.
She then sat down at a café, they added.
The attack comes two days before Denmark votes in the EU election.
Ms Frederiksen, leader of Denmark’s Social Democrats, had earlier taken part in a European election event with her party’s lead candidate Christel Schaldemose, Denmark’s TV2 reports.
The Social Democrats are the biggest party in Denmark’s coalition government. They still lead the polls, but their support has fallen back considerably in recent months.
Danish Environment Minister Magnus Heunicke said on X: “Mette is naturally shocked by the attack. I must say that it shakes all of us who are close to her.”
EU chief Charles Michel said on X that he was “outraged”.
“I strongly condemn this cowardly act of aggression,” he said.
The attack comes less than a month after Slovak PM Robert Fico was shot several times as he greeted supporters. He survived and has since undergone surgery.
Ms. Frederiksen, 46, became prime minister in 2019 after taking over as leader of the center-left Social Democrats four years earlier. This made her the youngest prime minister in Danish history.
Soon after, she became embroiled in a spat with then-President Donald Trump after she rebuffed his idea of the US buying Greenland.
Mr. Trump called her “nasty” after she dismissed the suggestion of such a land deal as “absurd”.
In 2022, Ms. Frederiksen was heavily criticized by a commission investigating her government’s decision to cull millions of mink during the Covid pandemic.
