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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz strongly condemns an assault on a member of his party in the European Parliament, calling it a threat to democracy.
The attack on Matthias Ecke, an MEP for the Social Democratic Party (SPD), occurred as he was putting up EU election posters in Dresden.
Ecke, 41, sustained serious injuries and required surgery after the assault. Scholz emphasized the danger posed to democracy by such acts of violence and called for united opposition against them.
The investigation into the attack is being handled by state protection services, indicating a suspected political motive.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser also condemned the attack, stating that it would be a serious assault against democracy if confirmed to have a political motive.
The incident is part of a series of political targets being attacked in Germany, with the involvement of far-right and other extremist groups contributing to increased tensions.
“Their supporters are now completely uninhibited and clearly view us democrats as game,” said Henning Homann and Kathrin Michel, regional SPD leaders.
