Berlin ex-mayor Giffey hurt in wave of attacks on German politicians

Matthias Ecke, 41, had to have surgery in hospital after he was attacked by four people. Four teenagers are currently under investigation and at least one has been linked to the far right.

A campaign worker for the Greens in the city was beaten and kicked moments earlier.

Separately, a female Greens politician in Dresden also came under attack from two people while putting up posters on Tuesday evening.

The unidentified campaigner was pushed and spat on while she was out filming with a TV crew.

Dresden police said the two suspects had been part of a group that had been giving the Hitler salute when she began putting up election posters.

Colleagues reacted with shock to the attack on Franziska Giffey, Berlin’s senator with responsibility for the economy. Ms Giffey served in Angela Merkel’s last federal government as minister for women and families before becoming mayor of Berlin in 2021.

Fellow Berlin centre-left senator Iris Spranger condemned the spate of attacks on all politicians and campaign workers “all of whom are committed to a robust democracy”.