#German #politicians #attacked #open #street
Nancy Faeser, Germany’s interior minister (on our cover photo), said according to a report that she will take decisive steps to curb violence against politicians. This statement came after Matthias Ecke, a 41-year-old member of the European Parliament of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), was attacked in Dresden while campaigning. According to police, Ecke was assaulted by a group of four, which required him to be taken to the hospital and require surgery. The MTI report also mentions that the attacked 41-year-old Matthias Ecke is a member of the European Parliament of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD) and is the leader of his party’s list in Saxony in the June EP elections. The police said that they could not yet identify the attackers. A special unit specializing in violent crimes is investigating the case, according to information from the Saxony Ministry of the Interior.
The news of the attack caused outraged reactions from the politicians of several German parties, who condemned the violent act.
In an earlier incident, the same perpetrators attacked a 28-year-old Green Party activist, although his injuries were less serious. Faeser emphasized that the state must take strong measures to protect democracy. Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, also emphasized the seriousness of the case and expressed her solidarity with Ecke.
According to data published by the government, the number of attacks against politicians in Germany has increased significantly since 2019. According to Faeser, this is partly due to the hostile atmosphere fueled by extremists and populists. According to the BfV intelligence agency, the biggest threat is from far-right groups.
Support for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has risen over the past year, especially in East Saxony and other eastern states. The politicians of the Greens are the target of aggression the most; the number of attacks against them increased dramatically.
Theresa Ertel, the candidate of the Greens in Thuringia, also reported that certain party members no longer wish to run in elections due to the aggressive political atmosphere. The Greens have introduced security measures at their information stands to protect activists.
The attack is “an unmistakable alarm signal for everyone in this country,” the co-chairs of the SPD in Saxony, Henning Homann and Kathrin Michel, said in a joint statement.
“The series of attacks against the campaign teams of the democratic parties is also an attack on the foundations of our democracy. Violent action and intimidation against the democrats is a tool of the fascists,” said two SPD politicians.
Michael Kretschmer, Prime Minister of the Christian Democrats of Saxony (CDU). stated that street political violence reminds society of the darkest periods of German history.
He spoke later Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
He asked society to unite against the extreme right.
“If something threatens democracy, then it is something like this, and shrugging our shoulders can never be a solution because of this. We must unite against it!” – the chancellor wrote in his statement.
The German police later announced that an unnamed local regional parliament member of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party was thrown at the head of an election booth in Nordhorn in Lower Saxony. The 29-year-old attacker insulted and punched the politician in the face, who was slightly injured. The attacker was charged with assault.
Cover image source: MTI/EPA/HANNIBAL HANSCHKE
