German intelligence warns of extremism surge as far-right party gains power

The head of Germany's domestic intelligence agency has warned of a growing threat of extremism, particularly from the far right, with the number of politically motivated crimes carried out by extremists reaching a record high last year.

Thomas Haldenwang, who heads the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, or BfV, said on Tuesday that his agency had come to the “sad conclusion” that extremism of all shades is on the rise in Germany.

His comments come as polls show growing support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in recent weeks.

The party has come under scrutiny from the BfV for its links to extremists and also its ties to Russia. Of the 38,800 far-right extremists counted by the agency last year, more than 10,000 are members of the party.

“We see a very strong current of people within this party who are opposed to our constitution,” Haldenwang said, adding: “We see a lot of hatred and agitation against minorities of all kinds there.”

Despite being largely shunned by mainstream parties, AfD has established itself as a powerful force — particularly in the east, where it stands a strong chance of winning state elections next year.

Extremist crimes on the rise

Alternative for Germany first entered the national parliament in 2017, after campaigning strongly against migration in the wake of an influx of refugees to Europe during the preceding years.

Lately, it has come out against German support for Ukraine, echoing some of Russia's arguments for its attack against Kiev last year.

Haldenwang said some members of Alternative for Germany have “very intensive contacts” with Moscow and had met with Russian officials in Germany, though that doesn't apply to the party as a whole.

Asked about possible extremists within the security agencies and the potential for AfD to interfere with its work if it gains power at the regional or state level, Haldenwang said he was not worried about far-right infiltration of his agency.

Authorities are working to ensure that police forces in Germany prevent and recognise potential extremism within their own ranks, he said.

“These are all measures that will ensure Germany security agencies are resilient against such forms of extremism over the very, very long term,” said Haldenwang.

Figures published by the BfV agency show that there were almost 2,000 more extremist crimes of all political shades — 35,452 in 2022, compared to 33,476 in 2021.

The number of crimes classified as violent crimes dipped by just over 140 — to 2,847 last year, from 2,994 the year before.