The Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen, was attacked this Friday in the midst of the road in a central sq. within the middle of the capital, Copenhagen, by a person who has already been arrested, in response to the Police.
The assault occurred in Kultorvet Sq. and the Danish Authorities has restricted itself to indicating that Frederiksen is “dismayed” by the assault with out giving extra particulars in regards to the prime minister’s situation. The Copenhagen Police have arrested the attacker and have launched an investigation.
The 39-year-old man will seem earlier than the Copenhagen metropolis court docket this Saturday at a time but to be decided. On this case, a choose should resolve whether or not there are grounds to ship him to preventive detention.
A number of Danish media recommend that the prime minister was within the sq. for private causes. Frederiksen had attended a number of marketing campaign occasions for the European elections with the Social Democratic candidate, Christel Schaldemose.
This incident, which has been condemned by quite a few European leaders, happens within the run-up to the European elections, which can be held on Sunday in Denmark. The Social Democratic Get together chaired by Frederiksen aspires to win.
Cancellation of the agenda
Frederiksen has canceled all occasions for the European elections scheduled for this Saturday after the assault of which he was a sufferer this previous Friday and which brought on him “delicate whiplash”, in response to the newest medical report collected by the nationwide media.
The assault has additionally left the prime minister just a little “altered”, in response to the assertion collected by the ‘Jyllands-Posten’.
In response to witnesses consulted by the nationwide media, the person gave the top of the Danish Authorities a robust push who misplaced her steadiness though she by no means fell to the bottom.
Nonetheless, as a precaution in view of what occurred, Frederiksen won’t attend the occasions scheduled for this Saturday of his Social Democratic Get together in a number of areas of the metropolitan space of the capital, Copenhagen, and its environment, reminiscent of Herlev, Rodovre, Roskilde, Holbaek and Slagelse.
Reactions to the assault
“Mette is of course shocked by the assault. I need to say that it shakes all of us who’re near her. One thing like this could not occur in our stunning, protected and free nation,” mentioned Setting Minister Magnus Heunicke of their social networks.
“Whatever the political disagreements, the electoral marketing campaign, and so forth., that is ugly and unacceptable. Let’s present that Denmark is significantly better,” added the aforementioned minister, who has known as for citizen accountability.
The Minister of Finance, Nicolai Wammen, has described the assault on Frederiksen on the street as “horrible”. “Deeply severe and reprehensible. Heat ideas for Mette and her household,” he mentioned in a message on the social community X.
One other of those that has spoken out on the matter is the Minister of Tradition, Jakob Engel-Schmidt, who has pressured that “any assault on an elected politician is an assault on all democracy.” For his half, Deputy Prime Minister Troels Lund Poulsen has made it clear that “Denmark just isn’t like that.”
For her half, the chief of the opposition Denmark Democrats, Inger Stojberg, has identified that “democracy is a weak dimension if we don’t take excellent care of it.” “It’s utterly reprehensible to resort to violence,” she mentioned on the aforementioned social community.
Exterior Denmark
The reactions haven’t solely been on the nationwide degree. The Finnish Prime Minister, Petteri Orpo, has been “deeply shocked” by the assault. “I strongly condemn any type of violence towards democratically elected leaders in our free societies,” he has said.
Likewise, the workplace of the Swedish Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson, has indicated in an announcement revealed on the social community X that “an assault on a democratically elected chief can be an assault on our democracy.”
The president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, has additionally spoken out, saying on the aforementioned social community that the information is “appalling.” “Violence has no place in politics. Keep robust, Mette,” she pressured.
The president of the European Fee and candidate of the European Individuals’s Get together (EPP) has additionally joined in: “I condemn this despicable act that goes towards every thing we imagine in and battle for in Europe,” she declared.
The president of the European Council, the Belgian liberal Charles Michel, has mentioned he feels “outraged.” “I strongly condemn this cowardly act of aggression. All my ideas are with you and your loved ones, expensive Mette, and I hope you’ll quickly overcome this horrendous assault,” he pressured.
The President of the Authorities, Pedro Sánchez, has additionally joined the condemnation; the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Petr Fiala; Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer; the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the Prime Minister of Latvia, Evika Silina.
For her half, the Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, has described the assault on the Danish Prime Minister as “an act of insupportable violence that represents an assault on the coronary heart of democratic values” and has expressed it in a message on her account on the social community X his “solidarity” together with his “colleague” Mette.
Likewise, the appearing Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, has spoken by way of the identical platform with a message wherein, “deeply shocked by the aggression”, he has wished Mette “all one of the best, power and a speedy restoration”.
