Berlin senator attacked amid trend of assaults on German politicians – Europe live

Lisa O’Carroll

A row has broken out among political parties in Europe after the centre right group to which European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen belongs refused to sign a letter condemning the far right and a spate of recent attacks on politicians in Germany, Belgium, Spain, Sweden and Ireland.

The letter calls on von der Leyen to “reject any normalisation, cooperation or alliance with the far right and radical parties” and denounces a physical assault on German centre-left politician Matthias Ecke who was left “seriously injured” after allegedly being attacked by four young men while putting up campaign posters.

It also cites another assault on German Green member of parliament Kai Gehring and a local Essen politicians who was punched in the face, and the targetting of politicians’ homes in Belgium and party headquarters in Spain.

The open letter was signed by five of the main political parties in the European parliament.

But the largest group, representing conservative leaning parties, declined.

French MEP Valérie Hayer, head of the centrist Renew Europe group, which is backed by Emmanuel Macron, said she very much “regrets that the EPP is not a signatory to the statement. This puts their commitment to the common fight against destructive, far right forces into question. We urge the EPP to reconsider and to join this pro-European commitment.”

The EPP leader, Manfred Weber, said: “Our principles are clear: We only cooperate with parties that are pro-European, pro-Ukrainian and pro-rule of law”.

Franziska Giffey, a Berlin senator and former city mayor, was injured when a man struck her from behind with a heavy object in a local library, police said today, Reuters reported.

Giffey, local minister for the economy and a member of the Social Democrats (SPD), was hit on the head and neck with a bag containing something hard, the police statement said. Giffey went to hospital for a short time.

The attack comes at a time of growing concern in Germany about a spate of attacks against politicians.

Four German teenagers are being investigated over a violent attack on Matthias Ecke, a member of the European parliament for the Social Democrats, that left him hospitalised with serious injuries.

Ecke was kicked and beaten to the ground on Friday evening as he put up bill posters for the SPD in the eastern city of Dresden.

Good morning and welcome back to the Europe blog.

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