Danish Prime Minister Assaulted By Man In Copenhagen

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was assaulted by a guy in central Copenhagen, her office reported.

The 46-year-old was “shocked by the incident” on Friday evening, July 7 in the capital’s Kultorvet plaza, according to the office, which did not provide any other information.

“Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was hit by a man Friday evening on Kultorvet in Copenhagen. The man was subsequently arrested,” the statement added, according to AFP news agency.

Copenhagen police also told X that one individual had been arrested and that they were investigating the event, but they did not reveal the suspect’s identification.

The incident occurred two days before Danes go to the polls to vote in European Union legislative elections, which will conclude across the EU bloc on Sunday.

Frederiksen has been campaigning alongside the Social Democrats’ EU lead candidate, Christel Schaldemose.

Two witnesses, Marie Adrian and Anna Ravn, told the daily BT that they saw Frederiksen arrive at the square shortly before 6 p.m. (16:00 GMT).

“A man came by in the opposite direction and gave her a hard shove on the shoulder, causing her to fall to the side,” the newspaper quoted the woman as saying.

They noted that, despite the “strong push,” Frederiksen didn’t hit the ground.

According to witnesses, the prime minister then sat down in a neighbouring cafe.

They described the man as tall and thin and said he tried to flee but was quickly apprehended and forced to the ground by men in suits.

Another witness, Kasper Jorgensen, told the daily Ekstra Bladet that he saw the man after he was tackled to the ground and that one of what he assumed to be members of the security agency had placed a knee on his back.

“They had pacified him, and as he lay there, he looked confused and a little dazed,” Jorgensen told the newspaper.

After the incident, Frederiksen was led away by security.

European Council President Charles Michel said he was “outraged by the assault” while European Parliament President Roberta Metsola urged Frederiksen to “keep strong” while adding in a post on X that “violence has no place in politics”.

European Council President Charles Michel said he was “outraged by the assault” while European Parliament President Roberta Metsola urged Frederiksen to “keep strong” while adding in a post on X that “violence has no place in politics”.

In a social media comment, EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen also condemned what she called a “despicable act which goes against everything we believe and fight for in Europe”.

According to Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, “an attack on a democratically elected leader is also an attack on our democracy”.

Frederiksen became Denmark’s youngest prime minister in 2019 and remained in office after winning the general election in 2022.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli