Pandemic fuels rise of far-right in Germany
Berlin, Jun 15 (EFE).- The coronavirus pandemic has seen a rise in right-wing extremism in Germany, which has grown online and capitalized on protests against coronavirus restrictions, the country’s interior minister said on Tuesday.
At a press conference, Horst Seehofer presented a report for 2020 by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) putting the number of right-wing extremists who were prepared to use violence at 33,300.
The data shows that this ideology, as well as antisemitism, is a threat to Germany’s security, said Seehofer, who explained that the increase has been worsened by the pandemic.
Seehofer said the far-right crimes last year increased by 5%, while violent ones rose by 10%. He also referred to the worst of these attacks, when at least nine people with immigrant backgrounds were murdered in the western city of Hanau in February 2020.
Thomas Haldenwang, the BfV president, said the security situation remains tense across Germany as extremists and terrorists continue to hatch plans against the country’s democracy.
The BfV report also recorded a rise in crimes perpetrated by left-wing extremists.
Last year, a total of 6,632 crimes by the far left were registered, 2.8% more than in 2019. Violent crimes increased by more than 34%.
The number of far-left extremists grew by 2.7% in 2020, according to the report.
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