European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the assault, calling it a “despicable act, which goes against everything we believe in and fight for in Europe.”

This attack on a European leader follows closely after Slovak PM Robert Fico was shot multiple times last month while greeting supporters. Fico survived and has since undergone surgery.

Frederiksen’s office confirmed that she was “shocked” and suffered “minor whiplash” from the incident. A 39-year-old man is scheduled to appear at Frederiksberg Courthouse on Saturday afternoon in relation to the attack. The incident comes just two days before Denmark’s EU election.

Frederiksen, who leads Denmark’s Social Democrats, had recently participated in a European election event alongside her party’s lead candidate, Christel Schaldemose. Despite being the largest party in Denmark’s coalition government, the Social Democrats have seen a decline in support in recent months.

Mette Frederiksen, 46, became Denmark’s youngest prime minister in 2019 after taking over the leadership of the centre-left Social Democrats in 2015. She gained international attention after rejecting then-President Donald Trump’s proposal for the U.S. to purchase Greenland. In 2022, she faced significant criticism over her government’s decision to cull millions of minks during the COVID-19 pandemic.