The office said in a statement that the 46-year-old was “shocked by the incident” that happened on Friday night in Kultorvet plaza in the capital, without going into greater detail.
A man struck Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Friday night in Copenhagen’s Kultorvet, “The man was subsequently arrested.”
In addition, Copenhagen police stated on X that they were looking into the event and that one individual had been arrested; however, they withheld information regarding the suspect’s identify or possible reason for the arrest.
The attack occurred two days before Danes go to the polls to cast their votes in the European Union parliamentary elections, which come to a close across the EU on Sunday, however it was unclear in what exact context it occurred. Christel Schaldemose, the front-runner for the Social Democrats in the EU, has been campaigning alongside Frederiksen. The attack was unrelated to a campaign event, according to media sources.
“Hard push”
Just before 6:00 p.m. (16:00 GMT), two witnesses, Marie Adrian and Anna Ravn, said that they had witnessed Frederiksen arrive at the square as they were seated beside a nearby fountain.
The man came by in the opposite direction and gave her a hard shove on the shoulder, causing her to fall to the side.”
Even though it was a “strong push,” they said, Frederiksen did not come to rest.
The prime minister then reportedly sat down at a nearby cafe, according to witnesses. The man was tall and thin, according to them, and he had attempted to run away but had not gone far before being seized and thrown to the ground by men wearing suits.
“Horrible deed”
Politicians from all political stripes in Denmark and beyond expressed horror and disgust upon learning of the assault.
While European Parliament President Roberta Metsola advised Frederiksen to “keep strong” and stated in a post on X that “violence has no place in politics,” European Council President Charles Michel expressed his horror at the incident.
In a social media message, EU Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen denounced the conduct, calling it “despicable” and “going against everything we believe and fight for in Europe.”
“An attack on a democratically elected leader is also an attack on our democracy,” stated Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
As the youngest prime minister of Denmark in 2019, Frederiksen retained the position following his victory in the general election of 2022.
Magnus Heunicke, the Danish Environment Minister, posted on social media, saying, “I must say that it shakes all of us who are close to her.” “This kind of thing should never occur in our lovely, secure, and liberated nation.”
In the lead-up to the EU elections, violence against politicians has become a recurring subject. A Social Democratic candidate from Germany was severely assaulted and battered in May during her bid for a European Parliament seat.
An attempted assassination of Prime Minister Robert Fico on May 15 cast a shadow over Slovakia’s election campaign that sent shockwaves across the nation and beyond Europe.
