Interior Minister Nancy Fezer emphasized growing destabilization trends within Germany’s democracy and warned of a “very high level of threats.”
Thomas Haldenwang, head of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, underscored the persistent strength of the Islamist scene in Germany. He presented findings during the annual report’s unveiling earlier today, discussing the impacts of conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, including espionage efforts by Russia and China on Germany’s internal security.
“We must actively defend our democracy, which remains strong but is under significant pressure,” Minister Fezer emphasized.
According to the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, crimes with political and religious motives more than tripled in 2023, with violent crimes in the same category rising by 67.4%. The majority of these incidents were linked to Islamist backgrounds, Haldenwang noted, attributing the surge to heightened threats following Hamas’ attacks on Israel.
“We anticipate more complex attacks in the future,” he added, asserting, “It is absolutely clear that we will not be intimidated.”
The report also highlighted a 56.6% increase in crimes driven by foreign ideological extremism, with right-wing extremist offenses rising by 22.4%. While crimes attributed to the “Citizens of the Reich” organization decreased by 30.4%, incidents involving far-left extremism increased by 10.4%. Additionally, violent actions against police and security authorities surged by 65.6% compared to the previous year.
Notably, the report documented a rise in crimes associated with the “climate struggle,” increasing from 56 incidents in 2022 to 293 in the following year.
For the first time, the report classified the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement as a “suspicious right-wing case,” linking it to secular Palestinian extremism through its anti-Semitic positions. BDS campaigns advocate for a general economic boycott, divestment, and sanctions against the state of Israel.
The report underscores the multifaceted challenges facing Germany’s internal security landscape, urging proactive measures to safeguard democratic principles amid evolving threats.
