Within less than a month since a massive assassination attempt on Slovak prime minister Robert Fico, reports have surfaced confirming an assault on Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen by a man on a square in the capital of Copenhagen, according to the state news agency Ritzau.
“Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was hit by a man Friday evening on Kultorvet [public square] in Copenhagen. The man was subsequently arrested,” the prime minister’s office said, as per CNN.
According to Copenhagen police, one person has been taken into custody in the case and an investigation was underway.
However, the context of the assault is still unclear as no further details have been shared as of now on how the assault happened or if Frederiksen was hurt in any way. The prime minister's office told the Danish state broadcaster DR that she was “shocked” by the incident.
The attack took place right ahead of the European Union parliamentary elections Sunday. Frederiksen has been campaigning with the Social Democrats' EU lead candidate, Christel Schaldemose.
The news of the assault invited strong condemnation by politicians across the Scandinavian country and abroad.
Attack on Danish PM: Politicians react
Condemning the attack, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen termed it a “despicable act, which goes against everything we believe in and fight for in Europe.”
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said that “an attack on a democratically elected leader is also an attack on our democracy,” while Charles Michel, president of the European Council, condemned on X what he called a “cowardly act of aggression.”
“Deeply shocked by the outrageous attack on my colleague and friend, Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen,” Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa said in a post on X.
“All our thoughts are with you and your loved ones. Wishing you a speedy recovery,” she added.
