Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen sustained a minor whiplash injury after being assaulted by a man in central Copenhagen, according to her office.

The 46-year-old prime minister was “shocked by the incident” which occurred on Friday evening in Kultorvet square. Following the attack, Frederiksen was taken to Rigshospitalet for a medical check-up. Her office confirmed that while she suffered a minor whiplash injury, she was otherwise unharmed.

In a later statement, Frederiksen expressed gratitude for the support she received, describing it as “incredibly touching.” She stated, “I am saddened and shaken by the episode yesterday, but am otherwise safe. For once, I need peace. Both for body and soul. I need to be with my family and need to be myself for a bit.”

Danish police reported that a 39-year-old Polish man was brought before a judge for preliminary questioning regarding the incident and was subsequently remanded in custody for 12 days. Although the assault occurred two days before Denmark's European Union parliamentary elections, prosecutor Taruh Sekeroglu indicated that a political motive was not the “guiding hypothesis” for the attack.

Copenhagen police inspector Trine Moller told Ritzau news agency that the incident was being treated as a “single, spontaneous act.” Frederiksen had been campaigning with the Social Democrats’ EU lead candidate, Christel Schaldemose, but media reports confirmed that the attack was not linked to a campaign event. Photo by European Commission (Christophe Licoppe), Wikimedia commons.