Increase in violence against political representatives in Germany

political violence Has surfaced in Germany. In just a few days, Four leaders of different parties have been attacked Or experienced situations that could only be ended by police intervention. This phenomenon is not new and is on the rise, but it is the proximity of the European elections that has now set off alarm bells. And along with this, efforts are also being made to politicize this type of violence. brussels By focusing it solely on the extreme right.

The main candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) for the European elections in the federal state of Saxony last Friday, Matthias AKOut severely injured He was attacked while putting up election posters in the city of Dresden in the east of the country. The suspects had apparently attacked just minutes earlier Green Party politician

According to the ongoing investigation, the 47-year-old man who had also posted the posters, Four teenagers associated with the extreme right,

As a result of the attack on AK, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Social Democrat Nancy Feser, held an extraordinary meeting with those responsible for internal affairs. State and announced an agreement to promote the tightening of the penal code to more harshly punish acts of violence or harassment against figures in public life and to speed up judicial procedures, although implementing this initiative For this, a consensus must first be reached with the Justice Minister. liberal Marco Bushman,

Attack on AK coincides with harassment of party leader Hare and Vice-President of the Bundestag, Katrin Göring-Eckardt. After an election event in Brandenburg, Göring-Eckardt was detained in his car for 45 minutes. Only when the police called additional security forces could the vehicle which was hit move forward.

This Tuesday, the Deputy Mayor of Berlin, Social Democrat francisca giffi, was hit on the head during a visit to a library. The 74-year-old attacker has a history “in the field of crime related to political crimes and hate crimes” but is also linked to mental disorders, which is why the prosecutor’s office is considering requesting him to be admitted to a psychiatric center. .

Giffy, who was previously Minister for Families (2018–2021) and Mayor-Governor of Berlin (2021–2023), declared herself “shocked” by the “increasingly frequent” attacks on people who get involved in politics. He said, “There is a clear line. And that is violence against people who represent another point of view. For any reason, in any form, these attacks are unjustified.” He urged the society to present itself firmly against these attacks.

according to him BundestagThere were nearly 2,800 incidents of violent incidents against politicians last year, a 53% increase from 2023. The ministers therefore speak of “an increase in anti-democratic violence” and, in this sense, the five main political parties in the European Parliament, among them coalition of progressivesand democratRenewal, which represents liberals, has drafted a Letter condemning the extreme right and a series of attacks on politicians Germany, belgium, spain, sweden And Ireland, He European People’s PartyHowever, the person to whom Ursula von der Leyen is concerned has refused to sign the letter, causing controversy.

The letter, which calls on von der Leyen to “reject any normalization, cooperation or alliance with far-right and radical parties” and condemns the physical attack on German politician Matthias Ecke, however, does not match German reality. Eats.

According to Bundestag data, the far-right party is the second most affected by violence after the Greens. alternative to germany (AfD). And in the latest report Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, it reads that “the most serious threat to public security in Germany comes from violence-oriented left-wing extremists.” In March, the police union asked State Development of a plan against far-left groups.