German police are investigating an alleged attack on a regional politician from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Michael Meister, a member of the parliament in the north-eastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, is said to have been approached by two unknown men in the city of Rostock early on Thursday morning, before being attacked and injured on the arm.
The politician contacted the police himself. Further investigations are being conducted by the state security unit of the Rostock criminal investigation department on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm.
"I am doing well, considering the circumstances," said Meister in a statement issued by the state AfD chapter.
His colleague Enrico Schult condemned the attack.
"Violence against elected representatives is a direct attack on the fundamental democratic order and must not be tolerated under any circumstances. The protection of all those involved in politics – regardless of their party affiliation – must be guaranteed without restriction."
Meister has been a member of the AfD parliamentary group since 2021. A new parliament will be elected in the state in September, with the anti-immigrant AfD well ahead in the polls.
The election is to be held two weeks after a vote in nearby Saxony-Anhalt, where the AfD could even secure an unprecedented absolute majority of seats, allowing it to form a state government for the first time in its history.
