A candidate for Germany’s key party beaten up and injured while campaigning for European elections

BERLIN (AP) — A candidate for Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s party in next month’s European elections was beaten up and seriously injured while campaigning in an eastern city. The Social Democrats say Matthias Ecke was attacked while putting up posters in Dresden on Friday evening. He was taken to hospital and required surgery for his injuries. Government and opposition parties say their members and supporters have faced a wave of physical and verbal attacks and have called on police to step up protection for politicians and election rallies.