Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen experienced an assault in central Copenhagen on Friday but showed no visible signs of injury, according to a local witness.
A resident informed Reuters that the incident occurred at Kultorvet square, where a man attacked the Prime Minister.
The assailant , who was reportedly wielding a knife, was subsequently apprehended by the authorities.
In a statement, Frederiksen’s office confirmed the incident, noting that the Prime Minister was “shocked” by what had happened, although no further details were provided.
The police addressed the incident on the social media platform X, confirming the arrest of a man and the initiation of an investigation, but refrained from offering additional information.
Soren Kjergaard, a barista who works in the area, described the Prime Minister as appearing “a little stressed” while being escorted away by her security detail following the assault. This attack occurred just two days before the Danish public is set to vote in the EU elections.
The event has drawn significant reactions from various officials. Danish Minister of Environment Magnus Heunicke expressed on X that the attack left Mette Frederiksen understandably shaken, stating, “I must say that it shakes all of us who are close to her.”
EU Chief Charles Michel also took to X to voice his outrage, condemning the attack as a “cowardly act of aggression.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the attack, calling it a “despicable act, which goes against everything we believe in and fight for in Europe.”
This incident in Denmark comes shortly after a severe incident in Slovakia, where Prime Minister Robert Fico was seriously injured in an assassination attempt three weeks prior.
The close timing of these two events has heightened concerns and reactions within European political circles.
Main Image: Photographer: Eric VIDAL Copyright: © European Union 2023 – Source : EP
Click here for more News & Current Affairs at EU Today
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
