Mette Frederiksen, the Prime Minister of Denmark since 2019, was hit by an unknown person on Friday June 7, 2024 in the center of the capital, Copenhagen. According to the entourage of the head of the Danish government, a man was immediately arrested, but the motive for his action remains a mystery.
The attack comes two days before the European elections, while the Social Democratic party, to which the Prime Minister belongs, is leading the polls in the country.
Frederiksen is the latest victim in a series of violence against elected officials in Europe.
Three weeks earlier, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was the target of an assassination attempt. At the beginning of May, Matthias Ecke, a German Social Democratic MEP, was violently attacked and seriously injured while putting up election posters in the Striesen district of Dresden (Saxony). And on Wednesday May 5, a German candidate from the far-right AfD party in the municipal elections in Mannheim (west) was injured by a man suffering from ” psychic troubles “according to police.
The circumstances of Frederiksen’s attack
The Danish Prime Minister was on Friday evening in Kultorvet, a public square in Copenhagen’s old town, when a man rushed at her and hit her.
Mette Frederiksen’s entourage reacted quickly and was able to subdue the attacker, who was then arrested by the Copenhagen police and the National Security Service.
Shocked but not hurt
According to a press release published by the office of the Danish head of government, Frederiksen, 46, is “shocked by this incident”. No further details were given.
A local resident who witnessed the scene told the media that the Prime Minister did not appear to show any signs of physical injury after the attack.
“She seemed a little stressed”said Soren Kjergaard, who works as a waiter in the square, after seeing the Prime Minister escorted by security services following the attack.
“Mette is understandably shocked by the attack. I must say this shakes all of us who are close to him”Danish Minister of the Environment Magnus Heunicke said in the evening on the social network X.
The attacker questioned
Minutes after the incident, Copenhagen police confirmed that an incident involving the Prime Minister had occurred, but did not provide further details.
“One person has been arrested in this case, which is currently under investigation. For the moment, we have no further comments or remarks to make”police said in a statement published on X.
The man was taken into police custody and was to be questioned immediately to explain his actions.
An investigation has been opened, but the city police added that they have no further comment to make at this time on the subject.
Support and condemnations
Reactions to Frederiksen’s attack increased after the attack.
“I have to say it upsets those of us who are close to her.”said Danish Environment Minister Magnus Heunicke in a message posted on social media. “Such a thing must not happen in our beautiful, safe and free country”.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson was one of the first to express his concern. “Tonight, my thoughts and those of my family are with her”he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Charles Michel, President of the European Council, declared for his part “outraged” and indicated, in a message on the social network “strongly condemn this cowardly aggression”.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, for her part spoke of an attack “despicable”. “Mette, I was so shocked by the news of your attack tonight. I condemn this despicable act which goes against everything we believe in and fight for in Europe. I wish you strength and courage.”
“Tonight’s attack on the Danish Prime Minister is appalling”added on X Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament. “Violence has no place in politics. Stay strong, Mette! »
Morten Løkkegaard, European Parliament candidate for the center-right Liberal Party in Sunday’s elections, lamented the fact that “violence and attacks undermine public debate and therefore our democracy”.
