Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen experienced an assault by a man in a square in Copenhagen’s capital, as reported by the state news agency Ritzau on Friday.
Copenhagen police verified on the X platform that an individual was apprehended, and an investigation is currently in progress.
Immediate details of the assault or whether Frederiksen incurred any injuries were not provided. Her office informed the Danish state broadcaster DR that she was “shocked” by the incident. The circumstances surrounding the assault remain unclear, but it took place shortly before the European Union parliamentary elections on Sunday. Frederiksen has been actively campaigning alongside the Social Democrats’ EU lead candidate, Christel Schaldemose. Reports indicate that this attack was not related to a campaign event.
The news of this assault was met with surprise and disapproval from politicians within Scandinavia and beyond. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson stressed that “an attack on a democratically elected leader is also an attack on our democracy,” while Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, condemned the incident as “cowardly act of aggression” on X.
Violence against politicians has become a prevalent issue as the EU elections draw near. In May, a candidate from Germany’s Social Democrats faced severe injuries after being brutally hurt while campaigning for a seat in the European Parliament.
During the election campaign in Slovakia, the nation of 5.4 million was deeply affected by a shocking incident on May 15. An assassination attempt on the populist Prime Minister Robert Fico sent shockwaves not only through Slovakia but also resonated across Europe.
