Extremism in Germany: A Dual Threat from Far-Right and Islamist Ideologies
Background
Germany’s Interior Minister, Nancy Faeser, has warned that the country remains a target for Islamist extremists. These comments followed an incident in August when Taylor Swift canceled three concerts in Austria after authorities foiled a terror plot. Police arrested a 19-year-old suspect as well as a second young man. The main suspect is reported to have sworn allegiance to the Islamic State (IS). The German domestic intelligence agency, Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (BfV), stated that following Hamas’ October 7 terror attack on Israel and the subsequent Israeli response, IS, along with Hamas and Hezbollah, has been attempting to promote radicalization throughout Europe via the Internet.
On December 20, a car drove through a Christmas market in the city of Magdeburg, resulting in five fatalities and over 200 injuries. German authorities identified the suspect as Taleb Al-Abdulmohsen, a psychiatrist who arrived in Germany in 2006 from Saudi Arabia, seeking political asylum due to death threats he received for renouncing Islam. As an ardent critic of Islam, Abdulmohsen expressed sympathy for Germany’s far-right. In social media posts, he criticized German authorities for allegedly attempting to “Islamize Europe” and voiced support for the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD).
The State of Far-Right Extremism in Germany
AfD was founded in 2013 as an offshoot of the center-right political party Christian Democratic Union (CDU), to which former Chancellor Angela Merkel belongs. However, AfD has since shifted further to the right, capitalizing on many Germans’ frustrations regarding migration, economic anxiety, and skepticism of Berlin’s steadfast support for Ukraine. Germany is Ukraine’s largest provider of military aid, second only to the United States. AfD supporters view the party as a denunciation of Germany’s involvement in international institutions such as NATO and the European Union, which they perceive as opposing German interests. Consequently, BfV has placed the group under observation for suspected extremism.
AfD has recently achieved significant gains, particularly in eastern Germany. In Thuringia, AfD secured 32% of the vote, making it the first far-right party to win a German state since the Nazi era. In Saxony and Brandenburg, AfD garnered 30% and 28% of the vote, respectively.
The Interior Minister has emphasized that right-wing extremism remains “the greatest threat to the basic democratic order.” A study conducted by a team at Bielefeld University found that one in twelve people in Germany holds a right-wing extremist worldview. This representative study of German society, conducted every two years since 2002, surveyed about 2,000 participants aged 18 to 90 in January and February 2023. Researchers revealed that 8% of respondents exhibited a clear right-wing extremist orientation, a notable increase from earlier studies where the figure ranged between 2–3%. Additionally, a report by German intelligence officials estimates that approximately 15,000 violent right-wing extremists currently reside in Germany.
In December 2022, authorities thwarted a plot by members of the Reichsbürger Movement to overthrow the government. The group intended to destroy electrical substations and power lines through bomb attacks, aiming to cause a nationwide power outage and create "civil war-like" conditions. Two members were also accused of plotting to kidnap German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach.
In December 2024, German police arrested eight suspected members of the far-right militant group "Sächsische Separatisten”. The group reportedly planned to establish Nazi structures in eastern Germany. This operation involved over 450 police officers.
Islamist Extremism in Germany
Al-Qaeda’s central leadership has historically used Germany as a launch pad for international operations. The plot for the September 11 terrorist attacks originated in Hamburg, where the Hamburg cell, including suicide pilots Mohamed Atta, Marwan al-Shehhi, and Ziad Jarrah, operated. Beyond the Hamburg cell, al-Qaeda’s ties to Germany include the 2002 Djerba attack in Tunisia, for which German national Christian Ganczarki played a central role. This attack, involving a gas-laden truck smashing into a synagogue, resulted in 21 deaths.
The threat of Islamist extremism persists in Germany today. Following October 7, Salafi-jihadist groups have called for attacks across Europe, with particular focus on Germany. IS claimed responsibility for a knife attack in Solingen, describing it as “revenge for Muslims in Palestine and elsewhere.” Experts note that perpetrators are increasingly younger, with the majority of arrests involving teenagers. Islamist extremist organizations are using the internet to radicalize and mobilize youth, tailoring their recruitment methods to target this demographic.
Germany’s Efforts to Address Extremism
Established in 2021, the Center for Monitoring, Analysis, and Strategy (CeMAS) serves as an early warning system against conspiracy ideologies, disinformation, and far-right extremism. CeMAS monitors extremist activities, particularly on platforms like Telegram, to counteract radicalization efforts.
Following the attack in Solingen, Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced plans to tighten immigration and arms regulations. Proposed measures include expediting deportations of individuals deemed security threats and enforcing stricter controls on weapon ownership. Additionally, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser created the "Taskforce Islamismus-Prävention," comprising nine experts focused on early detection and prevention of radicalization. This initiative emphasizes educational outreach and community engagement to counter extremist influences.
Germany’s political developments deserve close observation as a snap election is scheduled for February 23, following the collapse of Chancellor Scholz’s ruling coalition. This will be the fourth snap election in post-war Germany, following those in 1972, 1983, and 2005. Recent surveys show AfD polling in second place.