American Marconi Wireless News - Germany reports 40% jump in politically motivated crime

The number of such offences, which range from hate speech to acts of physical violence, reached a record high of 84,172, almost half of them motivated by far-right ideology.

Interior Minster Alexander Dobrindt said political tensions were heightened in 2024 amid European and regional elections, including one in which the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) topped a state vote for the first time.

He noted a rise in crimes directed against politicians, activists and party offices.

Speaking alongside Dobrindt was Holger Muench, chief of the federal police, who said the figures "reflect a polarisation and radicalisation in society" and showed that Germany's "democracy is under pressure".

Dobrindt noted a "fast-growing development... of extreme right-wing youth movements", which were notably targeting events for the LGBTQ+ community.

The figures also showed a 15.3 percent rise in the number of violent offences to 4,107.

Another factor driving last year's jump in politically motivated crimes was "international crises", notably the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza that had fuelled a rise in anti-Semitic offences.

Of the 6,236 anti-Semitic crimes recorded, 48 percent were ascribed to far-right actors while 31 percent were recorded as motivated by a "foreign ideology".

Asked whether he thought the rise of the AfD had played a role in the growth of far-right crime, Dobrindt said that "all who contribute towards polarisation are part of this development".

This year the anti-immigration AfD came second in February's general election, with its best-ever score of over 20 percent.

Earlier this month Germany's domestic intelligence service classified the AfD as a "right-wing extremist" organisation, through this has been suspended pending an appeal by the party.

The designation reignited a long-standing debate about whether the party should be banned, but Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said he is sceptical about such a move, which would have to clear high legal hurdles.

Dobrindt echoed these concerns, saying the report presented by the BfV intelligence agency "isn't sufficient to start the process of banning" the party.

But he said there was "no doubt that the biggest threat to democracy comes from right-wing extremism".

Also on Tuesday, Germany's association of support centres for victims of far-right and racist violence said it had recorded 3,453 "right-wing attacks" last year.

"This huge rise can only be understood in the context of a growing acceptance and propagation of far-right and anti-democratic opinions," the association's chairwoman Judith Porath said.

L.Miller--AMWN