German Chancellor Scholz states that “democracy is threatened” in response to attacks on legislators

Following reports from police that a political motivation was suspected, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz denounced the attack on one of his party’s deputies in the European Parliament on Saturday, calling it a “threat” to democracy.

Matthias Ecke, an MEP for the Social Democratic Party (SPD), was beaten by four unidentified attackers, according to police, on Friday night when he was hanging EU election posters in Dresden, an eastern city.

Following the incident, Ecke, 41, was “seriously injured” and needed surgery, according to his party. It was confirmed by the police that he required hospital care.

“Democracy is threatened by this kind of act,” Scholz told a congress of European socialist parties in Berlin, saying such attacks result from “discourse, the atmosphere created from pitting people against each other”.

“We must never accept such acts of violence… we must oppose it together.”

The investigation is being led by the state protection services, highlighting the political link suspected by police.

“If an attack with a political motive… is confirmed just a few weeks from the European elections, this serious act of violence would also be a serious act against democracy,” Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said in a statement.

Ecke, who is head of the SPD EU election list in the Saxony region, was just the latest political target to be attacked in Germany.

Police added that a 28-year-old man putting up posters for the Greens had earlier been “punched” and “kicked” in the same Dresden street. The same attackers were suspected.

Faeser said “extremists and populists are stirring up a climate of increasing violence”.

The SPD highlighted the role of the far-right “AfD party and other right-wing extremists” in increased tensions.

“Their supporters are now completely uninhibited and clearly view us democrats as game,” said Henning Homann and Kathrin Michel, regional SPD leaders.

On Thursday two Greens deputies were abused while campaigning in Essen in western Germany and one was hit in the face, police said.

Last Saturday, dozens of demonstrators surrounded parliament deputy speaker Katrin Goering-Eckardt, also a Greens lawmaker, in her car in eastern Germany. Police reinforcements had to clear a route for her to get away.

AFP