He attacked the Danish Prime Minister on the evening of June 7 in central Copenhagen, when Mette Frederiksen was campaigning ahead of the European Parliament elections. He approached the head of government and, ignoring the presence of bodyguards, hit her on the right shoulder. Frederiksen momentarily lost her balance and suffered a minor injury to her cervical spine. She later admitted that the attack shocked her. The attack took place in a rather tense atmosphere in Europe – less than three weeks earlier, an assassin shot Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fica, who miraculously survived the attack.
Little is known about the attacker – he lived in Denmark for several years and worked on construction sites. He was found guilty of fraud in the use of bottle return machines (he earned 100 Danish kroner, or about 60 PLN) and of exposing himself in public places. All these antics were recorded by surveillance and had no connection with the attack on the prime minister. I speak to Nathalie Kold-Hansen, who lives in Copenhagen and works at the Global Maritime Forum, about how the verdict could affect the reputation of Poles living in Denmark.
News Week: What did you think when it was discovered that the man who attacked the Prime Minister was Polish?
— Of course, I immediately thought that the fact that he was Polish would certainly be used for political attacks on Poles. I have not seen a single article about this incident that did not emphasize in the title that the prime minister was attacked by a Pole. One might get the impression that the media wanted to provoke a broader discussion that goes beyond the case.
Have you talked about this with your friends in Denmark? How did they comment on it? Did the nationality of the attacker matter to them?
– I said. I had the impression that they were confused. It would be easier to understand the reasons for the attack if the attacker were Danish. Then it could be explained rationally – the Dane might, for example, feel betrayed by the political system and therefore attack the head of government. But a Pole?
What is known about the intruder? Why did the court decide not to publish his name?
– Some. In Denmark, the name of a criminal is almost never revealed, and certainly not before the verdict is announced. In some cases, the tabloids will release names after the verdict is announced, if people are very interested in the case and want to know. In this case, I did not get the impression that the public was particularly interested in revealing the name of the perpetrator.
Was this the first scandal of its kind involving a Pole living in Denmark?
— I don’t remember anything like this happening in recent years. There have been several cases of robberies where it was highlighted that the perpetrators were Polish and Romanians.
About 50,000 Poles live in Denmark. What do they think?
— Poles, especially those working in the construction sector, have a tarnished reputation due to bad behaviour. Unfortunately, this is exactly what the Danish media focuses on. They do not notice Poles who are better educated and who perform well in the Danish market, so their attitude and achievements have no impact on the image of Poles.
Did the June incident have a negative impact on the perception of Poles?
— I don’t think this will worsen the general image of Poles. Perhaps it will only confirm stereotypical prejudices that Poles often behave inappropriately.
How did the Danish media comment on the verdict?
— They strongly emphasised that the perpetrator was Polish. I feel that the case has taken the debate in Denmark in a completely different direction. Both commentators and some politicians have started to question the system in which members of criminal gangs are not punished with deportation, while a Polish man who, under the influence of alcohol, attacked the Prime Minister can be deported “quickly and easily”. However, the case is obviously of a different nature because it concerns an attack on the head of state and an elected politician.
