Alternative for Germany politicians attacked in Stuttgart

During an event commemorating the 75th anniversary of Germany’s constitution in Stuttgart on Wednesday, two politicians from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party were assaulted, resulting in minor injuries.

The incident is part of a recent wave of politically motivated attacks in Germany, which has seen violence targeting politicians from various parties, including those in the Social Democrats and members of the Greens.

The AfD has responded to the attack by urging Thomas Strobl, the state’s interior minister, to address the issue of left-wing extremism more vigorously.

Scholz urges Germans to side with democracy by voting amid attacks on politicians

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has urged voters to cast their ballots in defence of democracy, as postal voting for June’s EU elections began amid a spat of attacks against politicians in Germany.

“Attacks on our democracy concern us all,” Scholz said in a video podcast Thursday.

“That’s why we can’t stand idly by when our public officials, campaigners or volunteers are brutally attacked. When campaign posters for the European elections are destroyed.

“The answer that each of us can give is very simple – go vote,” he said.

Two politicians from Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD) have been assaulted in the past week, including Matthias Ecke and former Berlin mayor Franziska Giffey.

The increased frequency of attacks has sparked calls for tougher action against those who target politicians.

READ ALSO: Suspect held in latest attack on German politicians 

Germans prioritise immigration over climate change, new survey shows

A significant shift in priorities is taking place across Europe, with a growing number of people supporting immigration reduction as a top governmental focus, according to a new study conducted by the Alliance of Democracies Foundation, a think-tank based in Denmark.

The research showed that this trend is most pronounced in Germany, where nearly half of respondents now prioritise controlling immigration over addressing climate change.

The study, published on Wednesday, pointed to a continent-wide decrease in the sense of urgency to combat climate change. Concerns about immigration, on the other hand, rose.

Since 2022, the percentage of Europeans favouring immigration reduction as a key government agenda has climbed from just under 20 to 25 percent.

In contrast, the sense of urgency around climate action has weakened.

Germans mark Christi Himmelfahrt and Father’s Day

Thursday was a public holiday in Germany for Ascension Day, which is also Vatertag or Father’s Day in Germany. 

It’s a day when many people – especially groups of men – traditionally get drunk together. 

Many parks were packed out due to the sunny weather. For instance, in Prinz-Albrecht-Park in Braunschweig up to 4,000 people gathered.

The atmosphere was generally calm but Lower Saxony police said there were several arguments, which escalated in some cases. Police said Friday they were investigating five cases of bodily harm and six people were temporarily taken into custody.

Authorities urge people in Germany in advance to drink responsibly on the public holiday. 

Too few women in the German army, says minister

Germany’s Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces, Eva Högl, has slammed the lack of women in the Bundeswehr.

“We can’t go on like this,” the SPD politician told Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND) this week.

Currently, the proportion of women in the Bundeswehr is just over 13 percent. “If you exclude the medical services, it is less than 10 percent. The Bundeswehr is therefore failing to meet the targets it has set itself, and has been doing so for years,” said Högl. The law stipulates a quota of 20 percent.

Högl also said not enough is being done to tackle issues that women face including sexual assaults and a lack of toilets and showers for them.

She added that too few women were in leadership roles in the armed forces. 

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence told RND that the number of women soldiers had risen to around 24,300 since the armed forces were fully opened up to women in 2001.