© IMAGO/dts Nachrichtenagentur
German MEP Matthias Ecke was assaulted and seriously injured in Dresden. That happened when he was hanging up election posters on Friday evening, police say. The politician from Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s left-wing SPD party has been taken to hospital and will require surgery.
Ecke (41) was allegedly attacked by a group of four people. Shortly before, a 28-year-old employee of the Green Party (Grünen) had also been kicked and beaten while hanging posters. Authorities suspect the same group is responsible for both attacks. Nothing is yet known about the motivations of the perpetrators.
The SPD reacted with shock to the incident. The party branch in Saxony said other campaign teams have also been insulted and intimidated when putting up posters. The attack on Ecke is described as an “unmistakable alarm signal” for all Germans. Attacking democrats is the way fascists work, it said in a statement.
More politicians attacked
Police are also investigating a separate attack on two German politicians, Kai Gehring and Rolf Fliß of the Grünen. That incident took place on Thursday evening in Essen, not far from the border with the Netherlands. Fliß, a local politician, was allegedly punched in the face. His attackers then got into a taxi and drove away. It would involve two people.
The two politicians say in a joint statement that they fear increasing hostility towards politicians. “But we will not be intimidated, because we need people who are committed to their community.”
