Summary of the day
Franziska Giffey, a Berlin senator and former city mayor, was injured when a man struck her from behind with a heavy object in a local library.
A 74-year-old was detained. The suspect was previously known to law enforcement for hate crime and unspecified incidents against state security, and was also believed to have mental health issues.
The incident came at a time of growing concern in Germany about physical and verbal attacks targeting people in public life.
A Green politician was also harassed and spat at in the eastern German city of Dresden on Tuesday.
Four German teenagers are being investigated over a violent attack last week on Matthias Ecke, a member of the European parliament for the Social Democrats, that left him hospitalised with serious injuries.
Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, said today that “violence does not belong in a democratic debate. Decent and reasonable people are clearly standing against it – and they are the majority!”
Ursula von der Leyen, the centre-right European People’s party’s lead candidate in the European elections, has spoken out about politicians’ safety.
A row broke out among political parties in Europe after the EPP refused to sign a letter condemning the far right and a spate of attacks on politicians in Germany, Belgium, Spain, Sweden and Ireland.
The open letter calls on von der Leyen to “reject any normalisation, cooperation or alliance with the far right and radical parties”.
The EPP leader in the European parliament, the MEP Manfred Weber, said: “Our principles are clear: we only cooperate with parties that are pro-European, pro-Ukrainian and pro-rule of law.”
German chancellor condemns attacks on politicians
Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, has spoken out about the attacks targeting Franziska Giffey and other politicians, calling them cowardly.
“Violence does not belong in a democratic debate. Decent and reasonable people are clearly standing against it – and they are the majority!” he said.
Die Angriffe auf Franziska Giffey und andere Politikerinnen und Politiker sind empörend und feige. Wer sich engagiert, verdient Respekt. Gewalt gehört nicht in die demokratische Auseinandersetzung. Die Anständigen und Vernünftigen stehen klar dagegen – und sie sind die Mehrheit!
— Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) May 8, 2024
Sources in the European People’s party have hit out at a letter by European parliamentary political groups denouncing the far right as a politically motivated “bullshit” Brussels bubble campaign.
The centre right political group sees the letter, signed by the liberal, greens, socialists groups as an attempt to divide democratic parties at the very time they should be uniting to defeat the far right.
The letter was not signed by the EPP after a dispute over a paragraph mentioning European commission chief Ursula von der Leyen.
It is thought they wanted to include condemnation of the “the far left” in the letter in addition to the “far right” and to delete a line calling on von der Leyen “to firmly reject any normalisation, co-operation or alliance with the far-right and radical parties”.
The inclusion of this implied she did not already do so and was in effect a “false accusation”, sources said.
A spokesperson for Germany’s interior ministry condemned an attack on a political candidate of the Green party in Dresden, Reuters reported.
“The vulnerability is even greater” for politicians in municipalities who don’t generally have police protection, the spokesperson said, adding: “This is a climate of intimidation, of violence in some cases, which we do not want to accept.”
Suspect detained after Berlin politician injured
A 74-year-old has been detained in Germany, after Franziska Giffey, a Berlin senator and former city mayor, was injured when a man struck her from behind with a heavy object in a local library.
Reuters reported, citing police, that the suspect was previously known to law enforcement for hate crime and unspecified incidents against state security, and was also believed to have mental health issues.
Updated
Ursula von der Leyen, the centre-right European People’s party’s lead candidate in the European elections, who is now the president of the European Commission, has spoken out about politicians’ safety.
“We must protect all those who stand up for our democratic society and our country from attacks – regardless of which party they belong to, whether privately, during election campaigns or in the exercise of their duties, day or night,” von der Leyen said, Deutsche Welle reported.
Wir müssen alle schützen, die sich für unsere Demokratie einsetzen.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen_epp) May 8, 2024
Egal für welche Partei.
Im Wahlkampf oder in Ausübung ihrer Ämter.
Denn wenn diese Menschen nicht mehr sicher sind, ist unsere Demokratie nicht mehr sicher.
Täter müssen die volle Härte des Gesetzes spüren. pic.twitter.com/CAEv5UOX8P
And here’s the letter:
At our initiative, leaders of @TheProgressives, @RenewEurope, @GreensEFA and @Left_EU are calling on all democratic European parties to reject any normalisation, cooperation or alliance with far-right and radical parties.
— S&D Group (@TheProgressives) May 8, 2024
Our Declaration in Defence of Democracy comes in… pic.twitter.com/7bUiWrHIaM
Row over letter condemning far-right
A row has broken out among political parties in Europe after the centre right group to which European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen belongs refused to sign a letter condemning the far right and a spate of recent attacks on politicians in Germany, Belgium, Spain, Sweden and Ireland.
The letter calls on von der Leyen to “reject any normalisation, cooperation or alliance with the far right and radical parties” and denounces a physical assault on German centre-left politician Matthias Ecke who was left “seriously injured” after allegedly being attacked by four young men while putting up campaign posters.
It also cites another assault on German Green member of parliament Kai Gehring and a local Essen politicians who was punched in the face, and the targetting of politicians’ homes in Belgium and party headquarters in Spain.
The open letter was signed by five of the main political parties in the European parliament.
But the largest group, representing conservative leaning parties, declined.
French MEP Valérie Hayer, head of the centrist Renew Europe group, which is backed by Emmanuel Macron, said she very much “regrets that the EPP is not a signatory to the statement. This puts their commitment to the common fight against destructive, far right forces into question. We urge the EPP to reconsider and to join this pro-European commitment.”
The EPP leader, Manfred Weber, said: “Our principles are clear: We only cooperate with parties that are pro-European, pro-Ukrainian and pro-rule of law”.
Updated
The Left group in the European parliament said “the rise of the far-right in Europe is a threat to our fundamental rights and liberties.”
“The Left strongly condemns the brutal assault on MEP Matthias Ecke. This was an attack on all citizens, on democracy itself,” it added.
The rise of the far-right in Europe is a threat to our fundamental rights and liberties.
— The Left in the European Parliament (@Left_EU) May 8, 2024
The Left strongly condemns the brutal assault on MEP Matthias Ecke. This was an attack on all citizens, on democracy itself.
Read more 👉 https://t.co/kmt7mNL8z7 pic.twitter.com/fOODV6yoxM
The Socialists and Democrats group in the European parliament said today that “when far-right activists attacked our comrade Matthias Ecke in Dresden last week, not only did they attack an elected representative. They attacked our democracy and our freedoms.”
“Never shall we surrender to extremist violence and hatred. We stand in solidarity with Matthias and all those who continue to strive for an open, democratic society. Now and always,” the group added.
When far-right activists attacked our comrade Matthias Ecke in Dresden last week, not only did they attack an elected representative. They attacked our democracy and our freedoms.
— S&D Group (@TheProgressives) May 8, 2024
Never shall we surrender to extremist violence and hatred. We stand in solidarity with Matthias and… pic.twitter.com/1mNCkXVFY4
There is a growing discussion in Germany about physical and verbal attacks targeting politicians.
DW has released footage of a Green politician being harassed and spat at in Dresden.
DW exclusive: This is the moment a Green politician was physically harassed and spat at in the eastern German city of Dresden. Yvonne Mosler was hanging posters on Tuesday when the incident happened. pic.twitter.com/pYSajYyCWP
— DW Politics (@dw_politics) May 8, 2024
In a lengthy thread on social media, Franziska Giffey, a Berlin senator who was struck with a heavy object, said that she will continue her work but is concerned that people who are active politically are increasingly exposed to attacks.
Auf dieses Gespräch konzentriert habe ich plötzlich von hinten einen harten Schlag an Kopf und Nacken gespürt. Ein Mann hatte mich mit einem Beutel, gefüllt mit hartem Inhalt, attackiert.
— Franziska Giffey (@FranziskaGiffey) May 8, 2024
Nach dem ersten Schreck kann ich sagen, es geht mir gut.
Berlin senator struck on head amid attacks on German politicians
Franziska Giffey, a Berlin senator and former city mayor, was injured when a man struck her from behind with a heavy object in a local library, police said today, Reuters reported.
Giffey, local minister for the economy and a member of the Social Democrats (SPD), was hit on the head and neck with a bag containing something hard, the police statement said. Giffey went to hospital for a short time.
The attack comes at a time of growing concern in Germany about a spate of attacks against politicians.
Four German teenagers are being investigated over a violent attack on Matthias Ecke, a member of the European parliament for the Social Democrats, that left him hospitalised with serious injuries.
Ecke was kicked and beaten to the ground on Friday evening as he put up bill posters for the SPD in the eastern city of Dresden.
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