BERLIN — Extreme-right crime in Germany surged by nearly 50 percent as “politically motivated” offences reached a record high last year.
“We will continue the fight against right-wing extremism,” Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said in Berlin on Tuesday after presenting an annual report on crimes motivated by political ideology.
Overall, politically motivated crimes increased by more than 40 percent last year in comparison to the prior year, reaching 84,172, according to the report. Authorities attributed the surge to increasing radicalization and political polarization in a year of elections — including in eastern Germany and for the European Parliament — as well as domestic frictions over the war in Gaza.
Crimes attributed to perpetrators motivated by a right-wing ideology constituted by far the largest proportion of all politically motivated crimes. Political crimes involving violence also surged, reaching the highest level since 2016 with 4,107 cases. More than one out of every four violent crimes was attributed to actors with a right-wing ideology, according the report.
“When political crimes and violence increase, this is not just a statistical phenomenon — it is a reflection of our social polarization and growing radicalization and shows once again that our democracy is under pressure,” said Holger Münch, the head of Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office. “We have to realize that in society as a whole, and among a share of young people, we see a shift to the right and an increase in the acceptance of violence.”
Growing radicalization was also exhibited in attacks against politicians and campaign workers, according to Münch; 8,034 such offenses were recorded last year.
Officials also expressed concern over a rise in antisemitic crimes. 6,236 antisemitic crimes were registered in 2024, an increase of almost 21 percent compared to the previous year, according to the report.
In view of “Germany’s historical responsibility,” Dobrindt said he was especially worried about the stark increase in antisemitic crimes, of which half were to be attributed to actors with a right-wing ideology. Dobrindt also attributed the rise to what he called “imported antisemitism,” to actors with a foreign background and often in connection with protests against the war in Gaza.
“We have to assume that Jewish institutions and individuals will continue to be targeted in the future, both by right-wing agitation and from other directions,” Münch said.
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