German interior minister Nancy Faeser said the attack on Matthias Ecke, a German member of the European Parliament, was 'an attack on democracy'. Nationwide, the number of attacks on politicians of parties represented in parliament has doubled since 2019, government figures published in January show. A surge in support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) over the past year has taken it to second place in nationwide polls. The Greens in her region had agreed that information stands should always have at least three staff for extra safety. – Reporting by Sarah Marsh, Andreas Rinke and Christian Ruettger in Berlin, Additional Reporting by Kate Abnett in Brussels(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2024

Source: The Irish Times May 04, 2024 20:24 UTC