According to the report by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Islamists, “Reich Citizens” and left-wing extremists pose a threat to security – partly united by anti-Semitism and hostility to Israel. However, the greatest threat remains right-wing extremists.
This time, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution has added a special chapter to its annual report. “The already tense security situation has worsened again in 2023,” writes Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser in the foreword. In addition to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the war in the Middle East has been added. “Both have an impact on our country,” says Faeser.
Right-wing extremists, left-wing extremists and Islamists united against Israel
The special chapter is intended to describe the direct effects of the Middle East conflict on the security situation in Germany and the increase in anti-Semitic incidents in all areas of the phenomenon.
According to the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, in addition to Islamists and Palestinian extremists, Turkish right-wing extremists and German and Turkish left-wing extremists are also acting as mobilization drivers at pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Their common element: anti-Semitism and hostility towards Israel.
While supporters of Hamas and Hezbollah were cautious in public, other Islamist groups exploited the current situation and called for attacks against Jewish people and institutions around the world – despite dogmatic differences with Hamas. There was a strong echo of the escalation in the Middle East in social media.
Islamism
From the perspective of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the threat posed by Islamist terrorism has “continued to increase” since October 7, with the potential number of people estimated to remain almost the same at 27,200.
The greatest Islamist threat comes from individual perpetrators and small groups. Keeping them under control is particularly challenging because they plan their actions at short notice – with little effort in terms of organization, networking and communication. “But coordinated, complex, long-term planned attacks are also conceivable in Germany at any time,” says Faeser.
The so-called Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISPK) currently appears to be the strongest IS regional offshoot. There is increasing evidence that Germany and Europe could also be considered as targets for attacks.
The security authorities have been warning for some time now about Islamist attacks in connection with the European Football Championship in Germany and the Olympic Games in Paris. They stress that there is no concrete evidence of attack plans so far. The Federal Prosecutor General is already conducting several investigations against suspected members and supporters of the “ISPK”.
Right-wing extremism
According to the Federal Minister of the Interior, right-wing extremism remains the “greatest threat to our free democracy and the people who live in it”. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution estimates the potential number of right-wing extremists at 40,600. Of these, 14,500 people are considered to be violent.
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution has observed that crises are being instrumentalized in order to spread one’s own narrative. This was made clear by the example of the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. In view of pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Germany, some actors spoke of an “import” of the conflict and generally portrayed migration as the root of societal and social problems. The topic of migration and asylum has once again become important for right-wing extremists.
After several bans, three other right-wing extremist groups reacted by dissolving themselves in order to avoid a ban. Demonstrations in the area were dominated by the regional party “Free Saxony”.
The AfD remains classified as a suspected right-wing extremist case at the federal level. The Higher Administrative Court of North Rhine-Westphalia confirmed this decision in May. The written reasons for the judgment are not yet available. A decision on an upgrade is not expected beforehand.
In February, the Federal Minister of the Interior announced that she wanted to give the Office for the Protection of the Constitution more powers to uncover financial links in right-wing extremism. So far, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution has only been allowed to investigate if extremists incite hatred or use violence. A corresponding draft law has not yet been presented.
“Reich Citizens” and Self-administrator
According to the report by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the scene of the so-called Reich Citizens and Self-Governors comprises around 25,000 people throughout Germany. “There is nothing harmless about this scene,” says Faeser. Around 2,500 people are classified as violence-oriented. The scene is characterized by a high affinity for weapons.
The trials against the group around Prince Reuss, who were arrested in a large-scale raid in December 2022, have now begun before the higher regional courts in Stuttgart, Frankfurt and Munich. They are said to have planned a violent coup. According to the Federal Prosecutor’s Office, the group is said to have had access to a massive arsenal of weapons.
Around five percent of the “Reich citizens” and self-administrators can clearly be classified as right-wing extremists. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution has observed that the scene is becoming younger and is attracting more women. In addition, there is increasing networking and mixing with groups from other areas – in addition to right-wing extremists, for example with the so-called delegitimizers. The common elements are an anti-democratic attitude and an openness to conspiracy theories. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution introduced the category “Delegitimization of the state relevant to the protection of the constitution” in 2021.
Left-wing extremism
In the area of left-wing extremism, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution considers “a recognizable, as yet untapped potential for further radicalization of individual violent offenders and networks as well as of the forms of action” to be worrying. The scene is becoming more professional.
“If the radicalization of individuals or structures continues unchecked, a new left-wing terrorism could emerge in Germany.” The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution estimates the potential number of left-wing extremists at 37,000. Of these, 11,200 people are considered to be violence-oriented.
In addition to violent acts, particularly against police officers, left-wing extremists have increasingly attacked critical infrastructure, causing property damage running into the tens of millions. Attacks on cable ducts, telecommunications facilities or railway facilities can affect large sections of the population.
The group “Ende Gelände” has now been classified as a suspected left-wing extremist group. The alliance was founded in the context of the climate protests and mobilized against the evacuation and demolition of the town of Lützerath in North Rhine-Westphalia. The group has built up independent structures and thereby increased its mobilization potential. It calls for actions that include sabotage.
Espionage and cyber attacks
In addition to monitoring extremists, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution is also responsible for keeping an eye on espionage cases, intelligence-controlled cyber attacks and influence-peddling. The main players in this area are currently Russia, China, Iran and Turkey.
“Foreign powers such as Russia, China and Iran are using their intelligence services extensively to spy in and against Germany,” said Faeser. In addition, according to the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, there are attempts to exert illegitimate influence and to monitor opposition figures living here.
At the beginning of May, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, together with international partners, attributed a cyber attack to the APT28 group, which is associated with the Russian military intelligence service. Hackers had gained access to email accounts of the SPD party headquarters as well as companies in the logistics, armaments, aerospace and IT service providers sectors.