The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution has identified 364 employees in security agencies with signs of right-wing extremist tendencies. Over the course of a year and a half, a total of 739 cases involving employees of security agencies were examined for possible right-wing extremist attitudes and activities. In almost half of the cases (49 percent), concrete evidence of activities against the democratic constitutional order was found, according to the report.
The most common indicators of extremism were found to be extremist statements on social media or chats, politically motivated insults, and connections to or memberships in extremist organizations and parties. Only a few cases involved violent actions.
Out of the 364 employees with concrete evidence of violations against the democratic constitutional order, 175 were employed in federal security agencies, while 189 cases were reported in state agencies. The Federal Ministry of the Interior noted that more than half of the suspected cases and cases with actual evidence were already included in the previous report due to the lengthy disciplinary and labor law procedures.
The new report provides a detailed overview and reveals connections to right-wing extremist organizations, according to Interior Minister Nancy Faeser. Despite the relatively small number of cases compared to the total number of employees, thorough scrutiny and action are being taken.
While the numbers released by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution reflect the extent of the issue in security agencies of each federal state, they also highlight the awareness of the problem on a local level. In cases where supervisors turn a blind eye or downplay right-wing extremist incidents, there are naturally fewer suspected cases.
Berlin had the highest percentage of documented suspected cases at 0.67 percent, followed by Hesse at 0.2 percent and Saxony at 0.13 percent. Berlin implemented a concept in August 2020 for internal prevention and combating of possible extremist tendencies, requiring employees to report such incidents. This proactive approach may have contributed to the higher percentage of reported cases in the city.
Overall, while the number of employees with extremist tendencies is a minority, efforts to combat extremism within security agencies remain a top priority. The focus is on addressing and preventing any threats to the democratic constitutional order in each individual case.