A teenager has surrendered to police over an attack on a candidate for Prime Minister Olaf Scholz’s party, raising concerns about intimidation and violence ahead of next month’s European Parliament elections.
BERLIN — A teenage boy surrendered to police on Sunday over an attack on a candidate for Prime Minister Olaf Scholz’s party, which heightened concerns about intimidation and violence ahead of next month’s European Parliament elections.
The 17-year-old boy, accompanied by his parents, turned himself in at a police station in eastern Dresden at 1 a.m., Saxony state police said. Police spokesperson Sylvain Reich said: “He admitted to the act but did nothing further.”
Matthias Ecke, a candidate for the Social Democratic Party in the June 9 election, was attacked by four people on Friday night while he was putting up posters in Dresden. Officials said the man was taken to a hospital and required surgery for his injuries.
Both the government and opposition parties say party members and supporters have faced a wave of physical and verbal attacks in recent months and have called for greater protection for politicians and campaign rallies.
Mainstream political parties have accused the far-right Alternative for Germany party of links to violent neo-Nazi groups and fostering an intimidating political climate. One of its leaders, Bjorn Hocke, is currently on trial for using banned Nazi slogans.
Alternative for Germany, which campaigns against immigration and European integration, is expected to gain support not only in autumn elections in Saxony and two other eastern German states, but also in European opinion polls. ing.