Thierry Baudet, the leader of the Dutch far-right party Forum for Democracy, was assaulted Monday with a beer bottle at a local event, the Associated Press reported.
Footage of the attack showed Baudet, who is campaigning to retain his seat in parliament, in a bar when the alleged assailant lunged at him, according to the AP. Baudet was quickly escorted away, and the attacker was subdued.
The incident, which occurred two days before the Netherlands’ general election, resulted in Baudet being hospitalized after sustaining injuries to his head, the report says.
Baudet, 40, received treatment from a trauma surgeon for injuries to the back of his head and near his eye, per the AP. A security guard was also injured in the attack.
“It looks like everything will all be alright,” Forum for Democracy said in an announcement, according to the AP.
Filmpje van de aanslag op Thierry pic.twitter.com/lwXYvt8W76
— Visionair des Vaderlands (@KWinkelaar) November 20, 2023
Police Spokesman Thijs de Jong confirmed the arrest of a suspect and stated that the motive was under investigation. An event scheduled for Nov. 27 in another city was canceled due to concerns for Baudet’s health and security after the incident, per the AP (RELATED: Gunman Allegedly Shoots Veteran Spanish Conservative Politician In The Face In Broad Daylight)
His party gained significant attention in the 2019 provincial elections, winning with over 1 million votes. Despite internal issues, it currently holds five seats in the 150-seat lower house of the Dutch parliament, according to the AP.
In October, Baudet experienced a similar incident in Ghent, Belgium, when he was hit on the head with an umbrella. In response to the November attack, outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte condemned the violence, stating it was “totally unacceptable” and wishing Baudet a speedy recovery, the AP reported.