The prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, was attacked on Saturday and suffered a whiplash injury. According to Danish investigators, the crime was probably not “politically motivated.”
Prosecutor Taruh Sekeroglu told reporters that a 39-year-old Polish man who was detained after striking the prime minister on Friday night was placed under detention in custody until June 20 after making an appearance before a Copenhagen court. “The idea that there is a political motive here is not our guiding hypothesis. However, the police will undoubtedly look into that, according to Sekeroglu. According to Sekeroglu, the man was considered a flight risk due to suspicions of violence against a public servant. According to Frederiksen’s office, following the attack at a Copenhagen square, she was brought to a hospital for a check-up.
The prime minister was described as “otherwise safe but shaken by the incident” and her Saturday agenda was canceled. The attack resulted in a “minor whiplash injury,” according to the statement.
According to Danish media, the prosecution used a doctor’s declaration during the Saturday hearing to characterize the defendant as mentally unstable and intoxicated. Additionally, according to broadcaster DR, the man was apprehended and described by police as “probably both under the influence of substances and drunk.” The man denied committing any crimes. The station also said that the prosecutor questioned the individual in court about his activities the previous day between 5:30 p.m. (1530 GMT) and 5:45 p.m.
The man said, “To be completely honest, then no, not much,” according to DR. In a statement on X on Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron became the most recent European politician to condemn the incident as “unacceptable.” Macron continued, “I vehemently denounce this act and wish Mette Frederiksen a speedy recovery.” Just before 6:00 p.m. on Friday, two witnesses, Marie Adrian and Anna Ravn, informed the daily BT that they had seen Frederiksen arrive at the square while they were seated at a nearby fountain.
The two ladies informed the newspaper that “a man came by in the opposite direction and gave her a hard shove on the shoulder, causing her to fall to the side.” Even though it was a “strong push,” they said, Frederiksen did not come to rest. The man was tall and thin, according to them, and he had tried to run away but had not gone very far before men in suits seized him and shoved him to the ground.
Prominent European politicians, such as EU Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen, who called the incident a “despicable act which goes against everything we believe and fight for in Europe,” strongly denounced it. As the youngest prime minister of Denmark in 2019, Frederiksen retained the position following his victory in the general election of 2022. The event comes in the wake of other attacks on politicians from various political backgrounds in Germany, either at work or while out campaigning. This week’s EU elections are taking place, and on Sunday, Danes will cast their ballots.
In the central town of Handlova on May 15, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot four times at close range while greeting supporters following a government meeting. After surviving the attempted assassination, Fico had two extensive hospital surgeries. Fico attacked the West for inciting tensions with Russia on Saturday, sharing a picture of himself casting his ballot for the European Parliament while confined to the hospital. The 59-year-old stated, “Electing European members of parliament who support peace initiatives and not war is necessary.”
