German Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser and President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) Thomas Haldenwang unveiled the BfV’s annual report on Tuesday, highlighting the increasing threat of extremism in Germany as the number of crimes committed by political extremists reached a record high in 2022.
According to the Report on the Protection of the Constitution 2022, the number of extremism-related crimes reported in 2022 was 35,452, a significant rise from the 33,476 cases recorded in the year before. Among those crimes, 2,847 (2,994 in 2021) involved violent acts.
BfV President Thomas Haldenwang said:
The report of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution once again illustrates the dangers to internal security in Germany: espionage, cyber operations and attempts by foreign intelligence services to exert influence have become more unrestrained and sophisticated.
The report indicates that the proportion of young extremists has increased, and more extremists are turning to violent means to realize their objectives. Hard hit by recent social and economic instabilities, Germany’s middle class is especially vulnerable to conspiracy theories and misinformation campaigns spreading on various information channels.
Right-wing extremism has continued to spread among the German population. Some violent right-wing extremists have utilized a multitude of social events to expand their influence. The protests against stringent pandemic measures and the economic havoc wreaked by the Russia-Ukraine war, such as high inflation and a looming energy crisis, were used to foment discontent among the public. As the number of asylum applications in Germany surges, extremists continue to disseminate information concerning migration, resulting in a surge of attacks on refugees in the country.
In recent months, Alternative for Germany (AfD), a far-right populist party, has gained ground among German voters, with its approval rating climbing to 19% from 10% a year ago. It now has the same level of support as the German chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD).
Despite challenges, the BfV has vowed to enhance the monitoring of extremist groups and protect democracy in the country.
