Third management report - 364 suspected right-wing extremists in security agencies
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) dealt with 739 cases in the past one and a half years where there were indications of possible right-wing extremist attitudes and activities in security agencies. In approximately every second case (49%), real evidence for threats to the liberal democratic order was found, according to the Constitutional Protection in its current report on right-wing extremists in security agencies. The report covers the period from July 1, 2021, to December 31, 2022.
The most frequently detected extremist statements were reportedly found in social media or chats, politically motivated insults, contacts to or memberships in extremist organizations and parties or their support. Only in a few cases were violent actions noted.
Of the 364 employees in total, where there were concrete indications of violations against the liberal democratic order, 175 were employed at the Federal Security Agencies. According to the report, 189 cases fell under the responsibility of the state authorities. However, the Federal Ministry of the Interior notes that both among the suspects and in the cases where real evidence was found, more than half involved cases that had already been identified in the previous situation report. This is due to the fact that disciplinary and labor law proceedings have often taken a long time in the past. The reform of the Federal Disciplinary Code, which came into effect on April 1, 2023, could accelerate these procedures for the Federal government.
"There are only a few cases considering more than 384,000 employees in the Federal government alone," emphasizes Faeser. However, it is important to look closely at these cases. Through the good cooperation between state and federal authorities, extremist matters have been discovered that were previously unknown to the Constitutional Protection Federation, reports BfV President Thomas Haldenwang.
- The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) highlighted concerns about right-wing extremism within security agencies in its management report for the period of July 1, 2021, to December 31, 2022, in Berlin, Germany.
- The report revealed that in about half (49%) of the 739 cases, there were substantial threats to internal security and the liberal democratic order due to right-wing extremist attitudes and activities within the security agencies.
- As a response, the German authorities, including the state authorities and the Federal Security Agencies, have been working diligently to address these threats, with significant attention paid to cases involving right-wing extremists within their ranks.
- The BfV also acknowledged the importance of cooperation with other security authorities, such as the state authorities, in identifying and addressing extremism, championing the discovery of previously unknown extremist matters through collaborative efforts.
