An increase in politically motivated crimes was recorded in Germany in 2022, according to a related report of the Federal Agency for the Protection of the Constitution that was made public today.

According to head of the Thomas Haldewang Agency, last year acts of violence by far-left organizations decreased, while they increased on the far-right side, as these organizations were now joined by a section of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) and mainly the party’s Youth. As he himself said, in 2022, 58,916 crimes were reported politically motivated, 7% more compared to 2021. Of these, 60% were of an “extremist background”.

The Federal Crime Agency announced at the same time that 23,493 incidents (an increase of 3.8%) were far-right motivated, including two attempted murders. “Right-wing extremism remains the greatest threat to the fundamental democratic order,” Interior Secretary Nancy Feser said at a joint press conference with Mr. Haldewang on the report. Extremist crimes were also recorded in connection with the “Reich Citizens” organization that was dismantled in the previous months. Because of organizations like this, but also currents that – especially after the pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine with its economic consequences – seek to delegitimize state structures, the Service for the Protection of the Constitution created a special branch that monitors these movements.

The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution also noted Moscow’s strong influence on the Alternative for Germany (AfD) and warned citizens not to vote for the party in the election. “Sections of the AfD are very strongly influenced by the Kremlin and spread the Russian narrative,” Mr. Haldewang said, noting that a party delegation recently visited the Russian embassy in Berlin “in order to maintain contacts with Moscow.” The head of the Federal Service also emphasized that “there are quite large efforts in the party which are directed against the free class” and estimated that at least a third of AfD members “could act with extremist motivation”. However, he clarified that not all members of the AfD can be considered supporters of extremist currents, as there is great heterogeneity within the party.

Referring to espionage incidents, Thomas Haldenwang stated that they increased in 2022 “and not only in connection with the war in Ukraine”. The federal prosecutor opened 28 related investigations last year against suspects for cooperation with the Russian, Turkish and Moroccan intelligence services, he added.

While Chinese Premier Li Qiang is in Berlin with more than seven ministers of his government, the head of the Agency for the Protection of the Constitution has called for vigilance about the danger of espionage from China. At the moment “the People’s Republic is the biggest threat to economic and scientific espionage and foreign direct investment in Germany”, he said characteristically and mentioned that Chinese state actors tried to instrumentalize leading figures of large German companies for the benefit of the Chinese Communist Party. taking advantage of the dependence on the Chinese market.