Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen left Copenhagen on Friday after being attacked by a man in the centre of the city and appeared to have no external injuries, a local resident told Reuters.

“Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was beaten on Friday evening at Kultorvet (Red Square) in Copenhagen by a man who was later arrested. The prime minister is shocked by the incident,” her office said in a statement, but gave no further details.

Police said on social media platform X that they had arrested one person and were investigating the incident, but declined to give any further details.

“She looked a bit stressed,” Soren Kjergaard, who works as a barista at the square, told Reuters after watching the prime minister being led away by security forces after the attack.

The attack comes two days before Denmark votes in EU elections. Three weeks ago, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico was seriously injured in an attack.

Assassination attempts

Denmark’s Environment Minister Magnus Heunicke said on X: “Mette is naturally shocked by this attack. I must say it shocks all of us who are close to her.”