Man attacks Danish prime minister in Copenhagen plaza

Man attacks Danish prime minister in Copenhagen plaza
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A man attacked Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in a square in the city of Copenhagen, according to a report released on Friday by the official news service Ritzau.

On the X platform, Copenhagen police announced that one person had been taken into custody and that an investigation was under progress.

No information about the assault’s circumstances or Frederiksen’s injuries was immediately available. The Danish national broadcaster DR was informed by the prime minister’s office that the incident had left them “shocked.”

The incident occurred during the European Union legislative elections, which come to an end across the EU on Sunday, but no more information was provided by the sources, and it was unclear in what context it occurred. Christel Schaldemose, the front-runner for the Social Democrats in the EU, has been campaigning alongside Frederiksen. The attack was unrelated to a campaign event, according to media sources.

Politicians from all political stripes in the Scandinavian nation and beyond expressed horror and disgust upon learning of the assault.

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“An assault on a leader chosen by democratic means is an assault on our democracy as well,” declared Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, while European Council President Charles Michel denounced X for what he called a “cowardly act of aggression.”

In the lead-up to the EU elections, violence against politicians has become a recurring subject. While running for a seat in the European Parliament in May, a candidate from Germany’s center-left Social Democrats was severely hurt in an altercation.

An attempt on the life of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico on May 15 cast a shadow over Slovakia’s election campaign, sending shockwaves across the 5.4 million-strong country and reverberating throughout Europe.

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