Chancellor Olaf Scholz describes “anxious hours.” Far-right AfD: “When will this madness end?”
AI generated Text-to-speech
The incident is set to further roil German politics in the run-up to a critical snap election on Feb. 23. | Ronny Hartmann/AFP via Getty Images
December 20, 2024 9:22 pm CET
A driver plowed a car into crowds of people at a Christmas market in the eastern German city of Magdeburg on Friday evening.
The driver is said to be a man from Saudi Arabia born in 1974, according to WELT, POLITICO’s sister publication in the Axel Springer group. According to the German outlet, he had rented a car that he drove to the market that was thronged with revelers.
At least two people have died, including a young child, said the prime minister of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff, of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU). News agency AFP reported that “60 to 80” people were injured, citing the local rescue service.
Authorities believe driver acted alone, Haseloff said, adding that the man came to Germany in 2006 and worked as a doctor.
Authorities have not ruled out that a piece of luggage found on the passenger seat could contain an explosive device, WELT also reported.
Police are also investigating whether the driver, who was taken into custody, acted alone. Magdeburg police shut the market, citing “extensive police operations” in the area, as images showed dozens of emergency personnel working at the site.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz addressed the incident shortly after, saying: “My thoughts are with the victims and their families. We stand by their side and by the side of the people of Magdeburg. My thanks go to the dedicated rescue workers in these anxious hours.”
The incident is set to further roil German politics in the run-up to a critical snap election on Feb. 23. The conservatives are currently leading in polls, followed by the anti-immigrant, far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
AfD Chair Alice Weidel expressed her condolences, adding pointedly “When will this madness end?” Her party was endorsed by billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk earlier on Friday.
“My thoughts today are with the victims of the brutal and cowardly act in Magdeburg,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a post on X. “My condolences go out to the family and friends, my thanks to the police and rescue workers. This act of violence must be investigated and severely punished.”
Friedrich Merz, CDU leader, called the news “depressing,” adding: “My thoughts are with the victims and their families. I thank all the emergency services who are caring for the injured on site.”
The attack has the potential to shift the political debate two months before Germany’s snap elections.
In recent polls by the institute Forschergruppe Wahlen on the main concerns of German voters, the economic crisis overtook migration, which more than a third of respondents said was the most important issue at the moment.
This could swing back after the attack, as it did after a killing at a festival in Solingen this summer. Nevertheless, the leading parties have already adopted a tougher stance on migration in their election manifestos. The conservative CDU, like the AfD, wants to introduce border controls for Germany and make it easier to deport refugees.
German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck described the “terrible news” in a place “where people wanted to spend the Advent season in peace and community. My thoughts are with the victims and their families. I thank all the emergency services on site who are doing everything they can to help and to clarify the background.”
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock both expressed their shock at the incident, and sent condolences to the victims and their families.
“The emergency services are doing everything they can to care for the injured and save lives,” Faeser added.
Yesterday marked the eighth anniversary of the attack on Berlin’s Breitscheidplatz Christmas market when Islamist Anis Amri killed 12 people with a truck. Another victim later died from his injuries.
This story is being updated.
