Franziska Giffey, the former Social Democratic mayor of Berlin, was attacked by a stranger

Brussels – More violence against politicians in Germany. Yesterday afternoon (May 7), Franziska Giffey, an SPD member and former mayor of Berlin, was assaulted in the German capital. Giffey was not seriously injured but was nonetheless taken to the hospital to have her head examined. The perpetrator remains unknown, but this the second case of violence against representatives of the Social Democratic Party in Germany within days. According to police reports, Giffey “was attacked from behind by a man carrying a bag, filled with unidentified hard contents, around 4:15 p.m.” At the time of the attack, the member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) was in a library in the Neukoelln district. Giffey currently sits in the Berlin Senate (the equivalent to the city council) and is in charge of the economy. The former mayor of Berlin had spoken out against politically motivated violence after the ambush of MEP Matthias Ecke, the SPD candidate in the upcoming European elections (June 6-9): “We will not be intimidated in our commitment to freedom, justice, and solidarity,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Shortly before Giffey’s attack, federal and state interior ministers met to discuss recent incidents of violence against politicians and activists. At the extraordinary meeting, ministers said they favored granting protection to politically active people and harshening criminal law in cases of use of force for political purposes. According to federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, crimes against elected politicians increased by 53 percent in 2023 compared to the previous year.

The world of German politics and beyond expressed sympathy for the Berlin senator after the attack. Kai Wegner, the current mayor of Berlin, made it clear that “anyone who attacks politicians attacks our democracy. We will not accept it, and we will oppose all forms of violence and hatred,” adding that “we will do everything to protect our democracy.”