Two campaigners for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party were attacked in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, just one month before regional elections.
The incident occurred on the evening of 7 February 2026 in one of the cities of the country. Two men aged 28 and 41 were putting up AfD election posters at a public transport stop and in a residential area when they were attacked by a group of four people. According to witnesses and a statement by the party itself, the campaigners were beaten with hands and feet, one of them suffered a traumatic brain injury and multiple bruises, the other a broken nose and concussion. The attackers fled before the police arrived.
The police classified the attack as a ‘politically motivated crime.’ A criminal case has been opened under articles on grievous bodily harm and violation of public order. No arrests have been made yet, and CCTV footage is being reviewed.
The attack took place against the backdrop of an extremely tense pre-election atmosphere in Germany. According to the latest polls (as of 8 February 2026), the AfD ranks second in the national ratings (21–24%) and is the clear leader in three eastern states. In Baden-Württemberg, the party is currently in third or fourth place, but is growing rapidly.
This is not the first such incident since the beginning of 2025: attacks on AfD campaigners have previously been reported in Saxony, Thuringia and Bavaria. Political analysts note a sharp increase in politically motivated violence against the backdrop of polarisation in society ahead of the elections.