Alternative für Deutschland’s (AfD) Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state parliament member Michael Meister was brutally attacked outside his private residence in Rostock on Wednesday night, in what is being investigated as a politically motivated assault by suspected left-wing extremists.
Meister said he first felt “pressure in his back” and believes one of the attackers attempted to stab him from behind. The blow was reportedly stopped by a laptop inside his backpack. The AfD politician nevertheless sustained several injuries during the attack, including a “cut to his left arm,” a kick to his leg, and “at least one punch to the face.”
Following the incident, Meister was taken to an outpatient clinic. A spokeswoman for the Rostock police confirmed that he was able to leave the facility the same day.
The incident comes amid growing concerns about political violence in Germany, particularly violence directed against members of the AfD. According to German government data from May, violent attacks against politicians increased by 28% in 2025. Of the 183 recorded violent crimes targeting politicians, 121 were directed at AfD representatives, making the party by far the most frequent target.
For AfD members, the hostility extends beyond physical attacks. Critics point to growing efforts to marginalize people associated with the party in public life.
One recent example involved veteran bookseller and publisher Michael Genniges, who received the Silver Medal of Honour from the Upper Franconia local government but calls later emerged to revoke the honour after the far-left organisation Alliance Against Right-Wing Extremism launched a campaign against him–because of his AfD membership.
For Meister, Wednesday night’s assault was not an isolated incident. In December 2021, the 51-year-old politician was attacked from behind by two individuals who allegedly shouted insults including “You AfD Nazi pig.” A year later, in November 2022, unknown perpetrators slashed the tires of the state parliament member’s vehicle. It was reportedly the third such attack on his car within a 13-month period.
The attack also comes as authorities report a significant increase in left-wing extremist violence in Germany’s capital. According to preliminary figures from the Berlin Senate, left-wing violent crimes in Berlin rose from 123 incidents in 2024 to 220 in 2025, representing a dramatic increase within a single year.
One of the most notorious incidents occurred when the left-wing extremist ‘Volcano Group’ claimed responsibility for an attack on electrical infrastructure in south-west Berlin. A fire set near a local power plant damaged high-voltage cables and cut power to approximately 45,000 households and 2,200 businesses during freezing winter weather conditions. The blackout affected large parts of the city and raised concerns about the increasingly radical tactics being employed by extremist groups.
