Denmark’s prime minister Mette Frederiksen attacked in central Copenhagen
Denmark’s prime minister Mette Frederiksen has been beaten in an open street in central Copenhagen, her office has said.
Their statement read: “Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was beaten on Friday evening at Kultorvet in Copenhagen by a man who was subsequently arrested. The Prime Minister is shocked by the incident.”
Kultorvet square is a pedestrianised area in the city’s Old Town.
It is unclear if the PM has been left injured by the attack. A barista working in the square said she saw Ms Frederiksen seeming “stressed” as she was escorted away by security following the assault.
At 5pm local time, Ms Frederiksen and Christel Schaldemose, the Social Democrats’ EU lead candid, visited a magazine, according to Danish broadcaster TV2.
The pair parted ways at around 5.30pm and the assault is believed to have happened 20 minutes later. TV2 has not confirmed this with public authorities.
The attack comes two days before Danes head to the polls to vote in the EU elections and Ms Frederiksen has been on the campaign trail in recent weeks – but local media has said the incident was not linked to a campaign event.
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‘An attack on our democracy’
Politicians from across Europe have addressed the incident in posts on social media.
Danish Minister of Environment 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.”
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the EU Commission, said she was “deeply shocked”.
“I condemn this despicable act, which goes against everything we believe in and fight for in Europe,” she posted on X. Addressing the Danish PM, she continued: “I wish you strength and courage – I know you have plenty of both.”
Petteri Orpo, the prime minister of Finland, said he “strongly condemns any form of violence against democratically elected leaders in our free societies”.
Sweden’s Ulf Kristersson wrote: “For me, Mette is a very good colleague and wise partner. An attack on a democratically elected leader is also an attack on our democracy.”
On Thursday, Ms Frederiksen joined other world leaders in Normandy, France, to commemorate 80 years since the D-Day landings.
Three weeks ago, Slovakia’s prime minister Robert Fico was seriously injured in an assassination attempt.
He was shot five times at point-blank range while greeting supporters in the street last month. A 71-year-old man was arrested at the scene of the attack.