Denmark PM Frederikson suffers assault in Copenhagen, suspect arrested

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was assaulted by a man in central Copenhagen on Friday evening. According to her office, the incident occurred at Kultorvet Square when the man approached and hit her. The Prime Minister, who appeared visibly stressed, sustained a minor whiplash injury and was described as shocked by the incident. Consequently, all her official events scheduled for Saturday were canceled.

A local resident, Soren Kjergaard, witnessed the aftermath, noting that Frederiksen seemed a little stressed as she was escorted away by security. The police quickly arrested the assailant, a 39-year-old man, and confirmed that he had no political motivation for the attack. The man has denied any wrongdoing but was sentenced to 12 days in custody due to the risk of escape, as he had no ties to Denmark.

The assault happened just two days before the European Union election in Denmark, drawing strong condemnations from several EU leaders. Magnus Heunicke, Denmark’s Minister of Environment, expressed that the attack shook those close to the Prime Minister. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also condemned the incident, emphasizing its threat to democratic values and expressing their support for Frederiksen.