Politically motivated and extremist acts of violence have been on the rise in North Rhine-Westphalia and Germany for years. People who are politically active report analog and digital threats and physical attacks. In 2022, the police uncovered two attempted coups with the aim of abolishing the democratic system of the Federal Republic of Germany. Research by the Chair of International Political Studies at Witten/Herdecke University shows that extremist violence leads to more votes for nationalist, far-right parties. Against this background, we would like to discuss the following topics: How do politicians currently perceive political violence in Germany? What is the historical context of this development? Are there different public reactions to acts of violence directed against politicians, the state or civilians? What measures are appropriate to counter political violence?

The panel discussion focuses on the rise of political violence in Germany and brings together political representatives from different parties and institutions. Participants include Nadja Lüders (Member of the North Rhine-Westphalian State Parliament, SPD), Verena Schäffer (Member of the North Rhine-Westphalian State Parliament, Alliance 90/The Greens), Volker Pompetzki (Chairman of the parliamentary group and member of the city council, CDU Witten)and Sven Tetzlaff (Head of Democracy and Social Cohesion, Körber Foundation).