Matthias Ecke | |
---|---|
Member of the European Parliament for Germany | |
Assumed office 3 October 2022 | |
Preceded by | Constanze Krehl |
Personal details | |
Born | 12 April 1983 Meerane, East Germany (now Germany) | (age 41)
Political party | Social Democratic Party of Germany |
Matthias Ecke (born 12 April 1983) is a German politician who has been serving as a Member of the European Parliament for the Social Democratic Party since 2022. [1] [2]
Before entering the European Parliament, Ecke worked as advisor to Martin Dulig at Saxony's State Ministry for Economic Affairs. [2]
In parliament, Ecke has been serving on the Committee on Regional Development. [3] In addition to his committee assignments, he is part of the parliament's delegation for relations with Belarus. [3]
In 2024, Ecke was assaulted by a group of four young males while putting up campaign posters in Dresden-Striesen ahead of the 2024 European Parliament election in Germany and had to undergo an emergency surgery. [4] The same group attacked two teams of Green Party election workers in the same night, leaving a 28-year-old injured. [5]
A 17-year-old from the group of perpetrators, who a witness identified as belonging to the far-right, turned himself in to the police one day after the attack. [6] By 5 May, the Saxony police had also identified the three other perpetrators. [7]
German chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) said that the attack on Ecke was "depressing" and that democracy was threatened by such acts. [2] Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) warned "extremists and populists are stirring up a climate of increasing violence". Social Democrats blamed supporters of the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) for the attack. [5]