The openly gay mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoe was stabbed in the early hours of Sunday morning as he greeted visitors at an all-night City Hall party.

The mayor`s aide, Anne-Sylvie Schneider said

"The mayor was walking quietly in the Hotel de Ville`s reception room when a man threw himself on him without saying anything and stabbed him in the stomach with a knife"

A man was arrested shortly after the attack, and according to police he carried out the attack because he `did not like politicians and homosexuals`.

Delanoe is recovering from minor surgery and is expected to spend the next week in hospital. He is one of France`s few openly gay politicians and recently helped launch various projects to help clean up the streets.

The attacker is believed to have a history of psychiatric problems.