According to recent German government data, the number of violent attacks against politicians surged by 28% in 2025, with the national conservative Alternative for Germany (AfD) bearing the brunt of the violence.
Out of 183 recorded violent crimes targeting politicians last year, 121 were directed at AfD representatives.
The far-left extremist scene was responsible for the majority of these incidents, accounting for nearly two-thirds (110) of all violent attacks nationwide, while far-right perpetrators were linked to 21 cases.
Beyond physical violence, the AfD was also the most frequent target of speech offences, enduring 449 out of 1,303 total incidents, followed by 322 cases involving the Green Party.
Vandalism and attacks on party premises primarily affected the AfD and the conservative CDU/CSU bloc. Notably, CDU facilities experienced a concentrated spike in attacks in early 2025 following widespread protests sparked by the passage of a migration plan utilizing AfD votes.
AfD lawmaker Martin Hess attributed the disproportionate violence against his party to years of political delegitimization and dehumanization by rivals and the media.
Despite the high concentration of attacks targeting the AfD, the German government stated it currently has no evidence indicating a systematically organized campaign of intimidation against the party’s members or voters.
