Last year, an increase in the number of extremists was recorded in Germany, which was facilitated by Russia’s war against Ukraine and the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East.
This is stated in the annual report of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution of Germany (BfV), presented in Berlin, DW reports.
BfV President Thomas Haldenwang called the growth in the number of followers of right-wing extremist movements a key threat to the country’s internal security.
Haldenwang also pointed out that Russia is increasingly resorting to blackmail and financial incentives to hire Germans to spy for its benefit.
In 2023, there were about 40,600 right-wing extremists in Germany – more than the previous year.
The number of left-wing extremists also increased – from 36,500 in 2022 to 37,000.
Every fourth extremist from general statistics belongs to the category prone to violence.
According to the BfV, at the end of 2023, about 25,000 people belonged to the so-called “Reichsburgers” and “self-governing citizens”, which is also about two thousand people more than in the previous year.
Ten percent of them are recognized by law enforcement officers as ready to use violence.
Another 1,600 people – 200 more than the previous year – are recognized by the BfV as those who do not belong to the classic spectrum of extremism, but act against the state and its institutions in an unconstitutional way.
German Interior Minister Nancy Feser previously said that while German democracy is strong, it is under considerable pressure.
