Extremism - Office for the Protection of the Constitution sees increase in potential extremists
The number of people identified as extremists by the Constitutional Protection Agency in Sachsen-Anhalt has reached a new peak. According to the Interior Ministry during the presentation of the Constitutional Protection Report, 5,480 people were identified as extremist in the previous year, representing an increase of over 2,300 persons. The main reason for this, according to the head of the State Constitutional Protection, Jochen Hollmann, was the securitization of the AfD in Sachsen-Anhalt as a confirmed right-wing extremist tendency in the previous year. However, an increase was also observed in the Reichsbürger scene and among left-wing extremists.
Democracy in the state is more endangered than ever before, Hollmann stated. "Right-wing extremism is on the rise, it has arrived in the parliamentary sphere and in municipal representations." The AfD in Sachsen-Anhalt is nothing more than the parliamentary wing of the "New Right." It has been partially successful in anchoring racist terms like "Remigration" or "Population Exchange" in public discourse. The party's program stands out for its "aggressive foreign hostility."
The AfD's classification and Hamas' attack on Israel are significant drivers
Right-wing extremism remains the greatest threat in Sachsen-Anhalt, stated Interior Minister Tamara Zieschang (CDU) as well. Sixty-one percent of the total extremist potential in the state can be attributed to right-wing extremism. However, there is also a certain radicalization dynamic in other areas.
Groups spreading Israel-hating propaganda or questioning its existence have become increasingly active in Sachsen-Anhalt following the terrorist attacks by Hamas on Israel. "Our democracy is under pressure," Zieschang said. "Never before in Sachsen-Anhalt have so many people been organized in constitutionally hostile structures as in the previous year."
The Constitutional Protection Agency assigned 3,350 people to the right-wing extremist scene, 700 to the Reichsbürger scene, 680 to the left-wing extremist scene, and approximately 400 people to Islamism.
Another threat identified by the Constitutional Protection Agency is targeted disinformation campaigns and cyber attacks from Russia and China. State authorities and companies face increasing risks in this regard.
Constitutional Protection Report 2023
Tamara Zieschang, the Interior Minister of Sachsen-Anhalt, acknowledged that right-wing extremism remains the greatest threat in the region, accounting for 61% of the total extremist potential. She expressed concern about the increasing activity of groups spreading Israel-hating propaganda or questioning its existence, following the terrorist attacks by Hamas on Israel. Jochen Hollmann, the head of the State Constitutional Protection, stated that right-wing extremism is on the rise and has infiltrated the parliamentary sphere and municipal representations, with the AfD in Sachsen-Anhalt being identified as a confirmed right-wing extremist tendency. The AfD's classification and Hamas' attacks on Israel are significant drivers of this rise in extremism. The Constitutional Protection Agency also highlighted targeted disinformation campaigns and cyber attacks from Russia and China as threats, posing increasing risks to state authorities and companies.
