German federal and state interior ministers on Tuesday agreed on the need for tougher penalties for violent crimes targeting politicians and volunteers ahead of upcoming election campaigns. The ministers discussed policing measures and weighed tightening criminal law in talks called after an attack on a German lawmaker last week. In order to send “a very clear signal,” the security authorities and also the judiciary must ensure swift and consistent proceedings and penalties, Germany’s Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said on Tuesday evening after a video conference arranged following the inciden…