A Danish court sentenced a 39-year-old Polish man to four months in prison, expulsion from Denmark, and a six-year ban on returning to the country after he assaulted the country’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, in June. The ruling emphasized that the attack carried no political motive and that Frederiksen sustained only minor injuries.
The assault occurred on June 7, at the tail end of the campaign for the European elections. It led to the postponement of the prime minister’s public schedule, a disruption that reflected growing political tension across Europe and a spate of assaults aimed at candidates during campaigns.
Earlier, Slovakia’s prime minister, the pro-Russian populist Robert Fico, was seriously wounded in an attempted assassination. A 70-year-old assailant fired multiple shots as Fico approached a crowd in Handlová, in central Slovakia. Fico remained in a critical condition for several days and appeared again on June 5 via video to reaffirm his intention to resume official duties after the European elections.
The attack on Frederiksen did not cause extensive physical harm. Frederiksen had been participating in a party event and was en route to central Copenhagen to meet a friend when her attacker stepped in, punching her arm and pushing her. The prime minister suffered cervical bruising and spent several days away from public life.
During the trial, the assailant claimed to have been under the influence of alcohol, argued that he had a bad day, and insisted that he held no hostility toward Frederiksen, even noting an appreciation for her political stance. Forensic reports indicated that he had consumed drugs in addition to alcohol.
[Source attribution: Danish court records; incident timelines corroborated by regional press reports.].