Right-wing extremist involved in attack on German MEP

4 months ago 13

At least one of the four suspects involved in Saturday’s attack on Matthias Ecke, the lead candidate from Saxony for the German Social Democrats in the European elections, is believed to be associated with the extreme right, zeit.de reports

Ecke was beaten up by four people aged between 17 and 18 years old and suffered facial fractures. Saxony’s SPD leader, Henning Homann, said he underwent surgery on Sunday and is doing well.

According to a police spokesperson, at least one of the suspects can be categorised as “politically motivated right-wing.” However, it has not yet been confirmed that the attack itself had an extreme right-wing motive.

Police have identified all four suspects after a 17-year-old came forward to the authorities early on Sunday morning.

Following a raid, traces of right-wing extremism were found on the phone and in the apartment of the 17-year-old who turned himself in, according to zeit.de.

Thirty minutes before the attack on the Social Democrat, campaign workers for the Green Party were attacked in the same street. A day later, a campaign stand of the far-right AfD in Dresden and one in Lower Saxony was also attacked.

‘Climate of fear’

German left-wing parties have previously accused the far-right of creating a “climate of fear” after several incidents of physical attacks in recent weeks.

In Essen, two Green politicians were assaulted after a party event on Thursday evening. On their way home, the Greens were verbally attacked, and one of them was punched in the face. The perpetrators have not yet been found, and the police suspect a politically motivated attack.

Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) said on X, “Whether in the east, west, north or south, in the countryside or in the city: all democrats must counter this increasing climate of violence.”

Germany’s interior ministers will meet with Faeser on Tuesday to discuss the recent violence against election campaigners.

However, Thuringia’s Interior Minister Georg Maier (SPD) expects more incidents.

“We have to assume that there will be copycat attacks,” he told German news agency Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland.

On Sunday, protests against the recent violence and in solidarity with Ecke attracted 3,000 people in Dresden and 1,000 in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, police estimated.

[Edited by Oliver Noyan/Alice Taylor]