Denmark's PM Mette Frederiksen suffering from whiplash after assault

19 days ago

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Denmarks PM Mette Frederiksen suffering from whiplash after assault

Rishi Sunak has wished the Danish leader well after she was assaulted while walking across one of Copenhagen's main squares.

Denmark's prime minister is suffering from whiplash after a man assaulted her in Copenhagen on Friday.

Mette Frederiksen's office said in a statement on Saturday the prime minister had been rushed to a hospital for a check-up soon after the attack.

She is otherwise fine apart from whiplash but had been left "shaken" by the assault, her office added.

Police said a 39-year-old has been arrested.

Details of what happened remain unclear but local media reported a man walked towards Ms Frederiksen and pushed her hard while she was passing Kultorvet Square, one of Copenhagen's main squares.

Two eyewitnesses, Anna Ravn and Marie Adrian, told the daily Danish newspaper BT they saw a man walking toward Ms Frederiksen and then "pushing her hard on the shoulder so she was shoved aside".

They stressed that the leader did not fall down.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak joined other leaders in condemning the attack as he said on X on Saturday: "Violence has no place in politics.

"Democracies must be free from intimidation and threats. Wishing Mette a swift recovery."

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Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron said on X he was "appalled" by news of the assault, adding "violence and intimidation of politicians must not be tolerated".

"My thoughts are with Prime Minister Frederiksen during this time," he added in the post.

Jens Stoltenberg, Nato Secretary-General, said he was shocked to hear of what happened to Ms Frederiksen, whom he called a friend.

"NATO allies stand together to protect our values, freedom, democracy and our rule of law," Mr Stoltenberg wrote on the social media platform on Saturday.

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Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said that "an attack on a democratically elected leader is also an attack on our democracy", while Charles Michel, president of the European Council, condemned on X what he called a "cowardly act of aggression".

European Union parliamentary elections are currently under way in Denmark and the rest of the 27-nation bloc and will conclude on Sunday.

Ms Frederiksen, 46, has been campaigning with the Danish Social Democrats' EU candidate, Christel Schaldemose.

The Danish leader cast her own advanced vote on Saturday.

Media reports said the attack was not linked to a campaign event.