A record number of politically motivated crimes occurred in Germany last year, according to a report published by the country’s domestic intelligence agency on Tuesday. The report by the Bundesverfassungsschutz juxtaposes domestic crime statistics of 2023 with monitored data about interior threats, such as suspected extremist groups and movements, and partially connects the increase in crimes to global events such as the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine.
Politically motivated crime increased by almost 2 per cent in 2023 and is now at the highest level since the government started recording these crimes over 20 years ago. The figures include violent as well as non-violent acts, for example, damage to property, incitement to hatred or coercion.
Right-wing politically motivated crimes especially increased drastically by 23 percent to a total of 28,945 cases, of which 1,270 were violent. The report ties this to right-wing-extremist groups instrumentalizing conflicts by, for example, framing pro-Palestinian protests as “importing” the conflict to Germany, fueling anti-Islamic and xenophobic sentiments. Politically motivated crimes against asylum seekers have also surged by 75 percent in 2023. This development was also seen at the ballot, as the far-right Alternative for Germany (AFD) conceived a big win in the European parliamentary elections and secured second place nationwide.
Left-wing crimes, on the other hand, have also increased by 11 percent to 7,777, of which 916 were violent. The report names the reason behind this surge of violence as the intent of certain groups to undermine climate protest movements. In March, a group set fire to a Tesla factory power grid near Berlin, in a bid to protest the company’s expansion.
Moreover, antisemitic crimes jumped to 492 in 2023 from 33 in the previous year. This number increased significantly after the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Overall, the conflict polarizes and leads various groups with right-wing, left-wing and Islamist ideologies to take more extreme measures that go beyond the law and are sometimes directed at the state itself. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser addressed this issue in May when the criminal statistics were first released. She advocated for the rule of law to show clear “stop signals” by investigating and prosecuting crimes that target the democratic and liberal society in Germany.
Recently, several criminal acts directed at German politicians occurred. An AFD candidate was injured in a knife attack and assaults on multiple other politicians in the run-up to the European elections.
