Out of 192 politically motivated violent crimes in Germany, left-wing perpetrators were behind 118 incidents, while 19 were linked to right-wing ideology. Another 54 had no clear political affiliation.
In the months leading up to the election, attacks on conservative and right-wing politicians became alarmingly frequent. In Marl, North Rhine-Westphalia, a 69-year-old AfD campaigner was injured when someone fired a metal ball at him using a slingshot. In Leipzig, a CDU politician was struck on the head by an object thrown by a passing motorcyclist. Berlin saw a masked assailant hurl a cobblestone at an AfD canvasser.
According to Germany’s Interior Ministry, AfD politicians have been the primary targets of politically driven violence in 2024, with 93 reported attacks—more than any other party has faced.
