German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has pledged to combat the alarming rise in violence targeting politicians after a member of the European Parliament was viciously attacked while campaigning for re-election. Matthias Ecke, a 41-year-old member of Faeser's Social Democrats (SPD), was assaulted by a group of four individuals while putting up posters in Dresden, the capital of Saxony. The assailants hit and kicked Ecke, causing serious injuries that will require an operation, according to an SPD source. Another campaigner, associated with the Greens, was also attacked by what appeared to be the same group, although their injuries were not as severe.

Expressing her concern, Minister Faeser emphasized that the attack on Ecke was not just an assault on him personally but an assault on democracy itself. She condemned the incident and announced plans for "tough action and further protective measures" to safeguard democratic forces in the country. Chancellor Olaf Scholz echoed her sentiments, stating that acts of violence such as these pose a grave threat to democracy.

The German government figures published in January revealed a significant rise in attacks on politicians of parties represented in parliament nationwide, with the number doubling since 2019. Faeser attributed this increase to the verbal hostility unleashed by extremists and populists towards democratic politicians. The BfV domestic intelligence agency has identified far-right extremism as the biggest threat to German democracy.

The surge in support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has catapulted them to second place in nationwide polls over the past year. The AfD has a strong presence in the eastern states of Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg, where surveys suggest they are likely to emerge victorious in regional elections scheduled for September.

In response to the rising violence, European politicians, including President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, expressed their solidarity with Ecke and condemned the attack. Metsola described her horror at the vicious assault, while von der Leyen urged that the culprits be held accountable.

Saxony Premier Michael Kretschmer, a conservative, likened the aggression and attempts at intimidation to the darkest era of German history, alluding to the Nazi rule. The government data also reveals that Green party politicians face the highest level of aggression, with attacks on them surging sevenfold since 2019 to a count of 1,219 last year. AfD politicians reported 478 attacks, while the SPD experienced 420 incidents.

It is evident that urgent measures are needed to address this growing threat to democracy in Germany. With the commitment of the Interior Ministry to take tough action and implement additional protective measures, there is hope that politicians will be able to carry out their duties without fear of violence or intimidation.