Berlin mayor denounces assault on predecessor as attack on democracy

Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner has condemned the physical attack on the city's economy minister and former mayor, Franziska Giffey "in the strongest possible terms."

"Anyone who attacks politicians is attacking our democracy," Wegner, a member of the centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU), said in a statement on Wednesday morning. "We will not tolerate this. We will oppose all forms of violence, hatred and agitation and protect our democracy."

Wegner announced that the Senate would discuss responses to the Tuesday afternoon assault on Giffey, including potentially tougher penalties for attacks on politicians.

Giffey, who leads the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) in the capital, was slightly injured in the attack at a library, but has since returned to work.

According to police, a man suddenly attacked the SPD politician in a library "from behind with a bag filled with hard contents and hit her on the head and neck."