According to Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann, extremists of all kinds are trying to abuse the current crises for their own purposes. “Extremists love crises,” warned the CSU politician on Thursday at the presentation of the half-yearly balance of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution in Munich. “Unfortunately, the rapid succession of the pandemic, natural disasters and the Ukraine war, along with its geopolitical effects, are ideal breeding ground for sowing mistrust in the state and for understandable fears to grow immensely through anti-democratic propaganda.”
While the majority of people are worried about the future in the face of rising inflation and the energy crisis, extremists sense an opportunity to damage democracy or even eliminate it altogether, Herrmann said. And despite all ideological differences, all extremists have a common goal: the destruction of democracy. The willingness to use violence to achieve one’s own goals is also growing. On the other hand, it is problematic that some extremists deliberately appear “unsuspicious” during mobilization attempts in order to expand their influence over broader sections of society as unnoticed as possible, he warned.
Some tendencies and developments at a glance: Delegitimization of the state: Specifically, Herrmann warned against groups that tried to discredit any government action even after the Corona protests had died down. The sanctions against Russia and arms deliveries to Ukraine would be denounced as “warmongering”. Or it is claimed that the impending energy shortage is politically desired. The high level of violence is worrying – ranging from hate speech online to criminal offenses, such as resistance against police officers.
right-wing extremism: There are different developments here: On the one hand, there are attempts to use camouflage strategies, as supposedly harmless groups, to gain more followers. On the other hand, there are new groups (such as the “New Strength Party”) that openly appear with clearly right-wing extremist goals. The aim is often a comprehensive “front” against the system.
AfD: Herrmann considers the observation of the Bavarian AfD by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution to be justified. The primary goal is to clarify the question of whether the AfD as a party as a whole is currently being dominated by an anti-constitutional basic tendency, he said. It should be clarified “to what extent there are efforts in the AfD as a whole party that are trying to impair or even eliminate the core of the Basic Law,” he explained.
Left-wing extremism: At the G7 summit, the number and extent of the protests fell far short of expectations. The scene is currently continuing to mobilize against NATO and the USA as well as the billions spent on the Bundeswehr, said Herrmann. For example, there are calls for acts of sabotage against armaments companies and suppliers. The minister also warned that parts of the left-wing scene hoped to be able to use the noticeable burdens on people as a result of the Ukraine war and the protests based on it as a lever for a “system overthrow”.
Cyber Security: According to Herrmann, there are “no concrete indications of targeted attacks on Bavarian companies or offices” in direct connection with the Ukraine war. However, “there is an increased likelihood of collateral damage and retaliatory attacks from the cybercrime spectrum”. In addition, Herrmann warned against Russian disinformation campaigns: “Since the beginning of the war, Russian actors have increasingly endeavored to steer public opinion in Germany by spreading disinformation and by further attempts to influence Russia.”
Islamism: Despite the numerous crises, the persistently high threat from Islamist terrorism should not be underestimated, said Herrmann. Specifically, he warned, among other things, of increasing online propaganda by groups close to Al Qaeda.