The German political class strongly condemned the attack on German Social Democratic Party (SPD) MEP Matthias Ecke in Dresden.

“Democracy is threatened by these kinds of actions,” said Chancellor Olaf Solz, wishing Matias Eke, a member of his party, “to face what entered his life as an atrocity.”

According to the police, the 41-year-old MEP was “beaten” by four unknown men while putting up posters. He was taken to the hospital. The SPD organization in Saxony announced that he was seriously injured and needed surgery.

Before that attack, a 28-year-old man, who was also putting up posters for the Green party on the same street, was also attacked “with kicks and punches”, said police who suspect the same group of people as the perpetrators.

“If the politically motivated attack is confirmed just weeks before the European elections, this violent act constitutes a serious attack on democracy,” said Home Secretary Nancy Feser, referring to the responsibility of “extremists and populists who are inciting a climate of increasing violence with rhetoric that is completely out of proportion.” attacks”.

SPD officials blamed the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which has made significant progress in the polls for a year.

“The seed sown by the AfD and other right-wing extremists is bearing fruit. Their supporters no longer have inhibitions and apparently see us democrats as prey,” said Henning Hohmann and Katrin Michel, local SPD officials.

In recent days, other attacks against SPD and Green MPs have occurred in Germany.

These attacks are the result of “the rhetoric, the atmosphere that has been created, the fact that they are turning their people against each other. We must oppose it together,” said Chancellor Olaf Solz.