“Increased caution” is recommended by the US to its citizens visiting Germany, due to the risk of terrorist acts, especially in view of the holding of the European Football Championship. Canada has already issued a similar warning for its citizens.

On the State Department’s website, Germany has now been “upgraded” from category 1 for “normal caution” to 2 for “increased caution”, while noting that “terrorist groups are still planning attacks in Germany” and “terrorists may attack with at short notice or without warning and target tourist areas and transport hubs, also markets, shopping malls and local government facilities, hotels, clubs and restaurants, places of worship, parks and major sporting and arts events, schools, airports and other public places”.

Germany will host the European Football Championship from June 14 to July 14, while Berlin hosts the final four of club basketball on May 23-25.

Already in March, the federal police drew attention in an internal document to the challenge posed by guarding the Euro. In addition, at the initiative of Interior Minister Nancy Fesser, Germany and France have agreed to “close cooperation” against terrorism in the run-up to both the Euros and the Olympic Games, which are being held from July 26 to August 11 in Paris. “German police forces will work at the Olympic Games in Paris, while French police will contribute to the security of the European Football Championship in Germany,” said Ms Fesser, stressing that the security of major sporting events is a top priority for the two countries. The USA has ranked at level 2 and France, for the same reasons.

The interior minister also announced increased controls at Germany’s borders during the Euro. “This is an essential measure in order to prevent Islamists, extremists and hooligans from entering the country”, he clarified and assured that the federal police will at the same time try to affect as little as possible the tourist and commercial traffic of the same period.