Violence against parties and politicians rises sharply
The number of violent offences against parties and their representatives increased by almost 40 per cent last year. The AfD and CDU were particularly affected. The cases often involve defamation and insults.
Attacks on politicians: AfD and CDU targeted most frequently
Police registered 5,140 criminal offences nationwide last year that were directed against representatives and members of parties. According to Tagesschau, this represents an increase of nearly 40 per cent compared with 2024, when the statistics on politically motivated crime recorded 3,690 such cases. In 2023, police had counted 2,790 attacks on party members.
The basis for this is a response from the Federal Government to a parliamentary question from the AfD parliamentary group, which is available to the ARD capital studio. The figures relate to all parties represented in the Bundestag at the beginning of 2025.
AfD leads with 1,852 attacks
With 1,852 registered offences, the AfD was the party most severely affected last year. According to police, these attacks came predominantly from the left-wing spectrum. In previous years, members of the Greens had recorded the highest figures.
There was a significant increase in 2025 in criminal offences directed against the CDU as well: from around 420 offences in 2024 to 1,171 last year. In addition, there were 168 offences affecting members of the CSU.
Politicians and members of the Greens were attacked in 1,005 cases in 2025 – somewhat less frequently than in the two preceding years, when the party was still part of the traffic-light coalition. At that time, police had recorded around 1,200 attacks each year on representatives of Alliance 90/The Greens. Violent acts from the right-wing spectrum in 2025 were directed primarily against representatives of Die Linke.
Statements offences predominate
Statement offences, so-called Äußerungsdelikte, are more common than direct violent offences. Whilst police recorded 193 violent offences against party representatives last year, they reported 1,289 statement offences. These include incitement to hatred, defamation and insults, among other things.
Other recorded forms of offence include property damage such as graffiti on residential buildings and disruptions at information stands.
The Federal Government cites the heated political climate during the election campaign in early 2025 as one reason for the increase in its response. However, the rise in criminal offences against party members had already begun in previous years.
Source: Tagesschau