Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was “shocked” after being attacked on the streets of Copenhagen, her office said.
The assault took place in a square in the city centre, where a man approached her and punched her.
The attacker was arrested.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called it “a despicable act that goes against everything we believe and fight for in Europe.”
“Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was beaten by a man in Kultorbet, Copenhagen on Friday evening and was subsequently arrested,” the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement. “The Prime Minister's Office is shocked by this incident.”
Police said they had arrested a man and were investigating the incident, but did not provide further details.
There is no word yet on a motive.
Two witnesses, Marie Adrian and Anna Ravn, told local newspaper BT that they had seen the attack.
“A man came from the opposite direction and shoved her hard on the shoulder, causing her to fall on her side,” the two women told the newspaper.
They said it was a “strong push” but did not put the Prime Minister on the ground.
She sat in a cafe, they added.
The attack occurred two days before Denmark was to vote in the EU elections.
According to Denmark's TV2, Frederiksen, leader of the Danish Social Democratic Party, has participated in European election events with his party's representative candidate, Christel Schaldemose.
The Social Democratic Party is the largest party in the Danish coalition government. They still lead in the polls, but their approval ratings have fallen significantly in recent months.
“Mete is understandably shocked by this attack. I would like to say that it has shaken all of us who are close to her,” Danish Environment Minister Magnus Heunicke said of X.
EU Secretary-General Charles Michel said he was “outraged” by X.
“I strongly condemn these cowardly acts of aggression,” he said.
The attack came less than a month after Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot multiple times while greeting supporters. He survived and later underwent surgery.
Frederiksen, 46, became prime minister in 2019 after serving as leader of the center-left Social Democratic Party four years ago. This makes her the youngest Prime Minister in Danish history.
Soon after, she became embroiled in a spat with then-President Donald Trump after rejecting his idea for the United States to purchase Greenland.
President Trump called her “offensive” after dismissing the proposed land deal as “absurd.”
In 2022, Mr Frederiksen came under harsh criticism from a committee investigating the government's decision to cull millions of mink during the COVID-19 pandemic.
