First, the good news: politician Matthias Ecke, of the center-left Social Democrats, is recovering from an operation after suffering a broken cheekbone and eye socket. The 41-year-old candidate for the European Parliament elections was knocked down and seriously injured while he was putting up campaign posters in Dresden, in the eastern state of Saxony, on Friday evening. Fellow campaigners have said Ecke intends to continue campaigning after his recovery.

Four suspects, aged 17 and 18, have been identified by the police.

The bad news, however, is that anyone involved in politics in Germany is living an increasingly dangerous life. The attack on the Social Democrat is just the tip of the iceberg: local politicians, in particular, are being attacked, threatened and insulted on a daily basis.

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Max Reschke, who has been the leader of the Green Party in the eastern state of Thuringia for a year, is familiar with the threat.

"We have seen a pile of dung in front of the door of our party offices, eggs on the windows, smashed windows at several offices and also mailboxes blown open," Reschke told DW. He said he and his colleagues have also been threatened with physical assault.

"Violent language has definitely increased in recent........

© Deutsche Welle