Many European and international leaders, from Soltenberg to Borrell, have expressed their closeness to the Danish Prime Minister, who was punched in the street by a 39-year-old man who, as established by the judge at the end of the hearing in the Frederiksberg court, will remain in prison until June 20. In the meantime, the prime minister has canceled all political appointments
Many international political leaders have expressed their solidarity with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who was attacked in the street in Copenhagen on 7 June. The prime minister, 46, was punched in Kultorvet, a crowded square in the center of the capital, by a 39-year-old man who was later arrested. Transported to Rigshospitalet hospital for a check-up, the leader of the Danish Social Democratic Party said she was “shocked” by what happened. According to the Danish press, her condition is good and the consequences of the attack are reported to be mild whiplash and psychological trauma. In the meantime, however, all her political commitments have been cancelled.
The attacker is in prison
After today’s hearing at the Frederiksberg court, the 39-year-old will remain in prison until June 20. This was decided by the judge who viewed the video surveillance images and listened to the testimony of Fredriksen and the defense.
Messages of solidarity
Many messages of solidarity were received by the Prime Minister: from NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, to many European and world leaders. Everyone condemned the violence which, for the second time in less than a month, struck the head of a government just before the European elections. The first was Robert Fico, wounded in mid-May in what was an assassination attempt. Meanwhile in Denmark, the Minister for Climate Cooperation and Policy, Dan Jorgensen, condemned the comments against the leader that spread on social media after yesterday’s attack. “A very small minority in our country does not respect democracy. They risk ruining all the other Danes too.”
Stoltenberg: “Shocked by the attack”
“I am shocked by the news of the violence against my friend Mette Frederiksen, the prime minister of our ally Denmark.” Thus the general secretary of NATO, Jens Soltenberg, commented on the story involving the Danish prime minister in X. “I strongly condemn any violence against our political leaders. NATO allies stand together to protect our values, freedom, democracy and the rule of law,” he added.
Borrell: “Violence will not determine our choices”
The EU High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, also expressed his closeness to Frederiksen. “I am shocked by another physical attack against a democratically elected leader,” he wrote on X. “I condemn it. My solidarity with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. Violence will not determine our political choices,” Borrell added.
