Incendiary devices targeting the home of a politician,
first at his car, then at his front door.
For Michael Müller, a local Social Democrat politician, everything has
changed since then.
Suddenly, every sound, every movement can also mean danger.
On the day of the attack, Müller was not at home, but had guests -
a family with two children.
An expert was here to
take another look at it.
The entrance of the house
was set on fire.
Also, a tire under the fuel tank of the car.
And there was a light on in the house.
Someone was supposed to be killed. And that, in practice, puts it into
the category of attempted murder.
Now a special commission is investigating.
Just a few days earlier, Michael Müller had called for
a demonstration against right-wing extremism in his hometown of
Waltershausen, in Thuringia.
He doesn't believe in coincidences.
First of all, it was very suspicious.
Or was it a very strange coincidence?
That same night the office windows of three SPD politicians here in
Thuringia were also smashed.
And all in one night.
That would have have been quite a coincidence.
Michael Müller doesn't want to be afraid.
But it's hard.
Local politicians like him are well-known in the area.
In Waltershausen, a lot of people know
where he lives, and which car he drives.
The question quickly arises: is public service worth the fear?
Is it worth sacrificing my free time
for this society,
which threatens me in return?
That could mean there will be fewer and fewer people who give up
their time and service in local government, on city and municipal
councils, as honorary mayors, or something like that.
What do politicians experience in Germany?
Are they still safe?
Henriette Reker, the mayor of Cologne,
narrowly escaped death in 2015.
One day before the election,
a right-wing extremist stabbed her in the neck.
Andreas Hollstein, mayor of the city of Altena,
was also stabbed in the neck
by an anti-refugee assailant, in 2017.
In 2020, shots were fired at the constituency office of
SPD member of the Bundestag,
Karamba Diaby.
2019 saw the worst incident:
the Kassel District President Walter Lübcke was murdered
by a right-wing extremist.
According to a survey, more than
half of Germany's mayors
have been been insulted, threatened,
or physically attacked.
19% of mayors have considered retiring from politics out of
concern for their own safety, or that of their families.
Wiebke Şahin-Schwarzweller is the mayor of the
eastern German city of Zossen.
Even during the election campaign, she experienced a lot of hatred.
Well, during my election campaign,
we had a very extreme atmosphere
in the city of Zossen.
For example, we had faced the question of whether the new
mayor would Islamicize the city of Zossen, because my husband is
of Turkish origin.
What is still very difficult, I can also see, is the
political atmosphere, which is slanderous.
Threats, insults, physical attacks.
The almost 12,000 mayors in Germany usually face the frustration with
government from citizens - first.
If you're at the point where you cancel events, if you're at
the point where you feel like you're being followed by a mob,
that you can no longer freely communicate your own opinion
in public, then, democracy doesn't work anymore.
And that's where we are right now, in my opinion.
Many local politicians are therefore thinking about
withdrawing from politics.
Wiebke Şahin-Schwarzweller has been warning of the
consequences for years.
She talked about it with the German President,
and initiated the "Strong in Office" initiative,
with others.
And that's a really big challenge,
because we're noticing that even now,
especially when it comes to
local elections, right-wing parties,
right-wing oriented people are being put forward,
and you see very little efforts from the rest of society,
in getting involved, in doing local politics.
And, if there is simply no-one solid on the ballot...
...who should the voters vote for?
The mayor of Zossen wants more people to get involved
in politics again.
And not have to be afraid.
In the meantime, many politicians have been alarmed.
Starting in the summer of 2024, there will be a nationwide
contact point for threatened local politicians.
Marcus Kober is helping to prepare.
From conversations in the past,
we have heard that those affected
often do not know whether
to take it to the local police,
or if perhaps it’s something for a
special contact point in the country.
Is it the public prosecutor's office?
Or is it a civil society service?
We would like to support, and give guidance.
I hear again and again that many local politicians don't do this
because they may have done it in the past, and then
nothing happened.
Or they didn't get any feedback that there would be a
meaningul response, or action taken.
Nevertheless, it would be very, very important, in order to get
a more accurate picture of the threat situation, or the stress
situation, at some point.
Decisions at the federal and
state level must be explained to
the people in municipalities.
They must be implemented,
compromises must be sought locally
in the municipalities, in order to implement them.
At the same time, however, local officials and elected officials
also pick up on the mood, and therefore shape the decision-making
processes in the political parties, and thus in the whole system.
Michael Müller has found the right points of contact with the police
and in Thuringia.
But even more important to him is the solidarity from
those around him.
However, he does not consider politics to be blameless in raising
the temperature of the atmosphere.
If you listen to speeches in
the Bundestag, how aggressive it
can get - I can't even watch it in
one go, it can be so aggressive.
So others watching, think, "I can deal with my neighbor the same way."
Just like that.
I think politicians should be much more aware of
the role model effect.
Michael Müller has
decided to pay much more
attention to his tone
in the future.
And he hopes that others will do the same.