Germany alarmed by spate of attacks, harassment targeting politicians

BERLIN

Germany has been alarmed by a spate of attacks and harassment targeting politicians, with the state minister for economy becoming the latest victim.

Franziska Giffey, the state minister, was briefly hospitalized after being attacked by an unknown assailant, German authorities said on Wednesday.

A man attacked the minister from behind “with a bag filled with hard contents” during her visit to a library, Berlin police said in a statement, adding that she suffered minor injuries to her head and neck.

The incident was the latest in a string of attacks targeting democratic and pro-immigrant politicians, amid a polarized political climate in the country, fueled by the hate propaganda of far-right groups.

It came only three days after Social Democrat politician Matthias Ecke, was attacked in the eastern city of Dresden, while putting up campaign posters for the European Parliament elections.

Ecke, a member of the European Parliament, was hospitalized with serious injuries and had undergone surgery. The police briefly arrested several suspects, and they were apparently followers of the far-right AfD party, according to public broadcaster MDR.

Also on Tuesday, Green politician Yvonne Mosler was threatened and harassed by two suspected Neo-Nazis in the city of Dresden, while campaigning for June's European Parliament elections.