German Intelligence Service Warning of Growing Threat From Extremists on Both Left and Right

Extremism is on the rise in Germany from both ends of the political spectrum and undermining stability in the country remains one of the most important targets of foreign intelligence services, the country’s domestic intelligence service says in a new report.The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, on Thursday, released an annual threat report. “Sabotage, espionage, disinformation, terrorism and numerous forms of extremism – our democracy is under multifaceted pressure from both within and without. We are under virtually constant attack,” the head of the agency, Sinan Selen, said in a release.The report also finds the threat from transnational repression, and cyberattacks remains high.The report found 58,851 crimes across the country in 2025 connected to extremism. The number of violent crimes among those cases rose by around ten percent to more than three thousand. The office called the rise “significant.”The intelligence service found that right wing extremism remains the top issue. The report estimates that 28,000 of Alternative for Germany’s 70,000 members have potential for right-wing extremism. AfD disputes the notion that it harbors extremists. The party is leading in national opinion polls and is seeking to win power in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt in a September election. The report also found a growing extremist threat on the left. “Left-wing extremist violence is on the rise – a serious warning sign for our rule of law,” the federal interior minister, Alexander Dobrindt said.“Devastating arson attacks on Berlin’s power grid in January, as well as the long-running series of attacks in Munich and the surrounding area, demonstrate the perfidious methods of violent left-wing extremists,” Mr. Dobrindt added.The report’s authors say that extremist movements across ideological divides are finding common ground since the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. “Hostility towards Israel and antisemitism connect different and inherently incompatible extremist attitudes,” according to the report.The intelligence service warns that extremists are particularly active spreading propaganda aimed at radicalizing users. It says gaming platforms like Roblox are also specifically targeted by extremists to reach and influence young people.The report states that Germany remains one of the most important targets for foreign intelligence services, especially those in Russia, China, and Iran. “The focus is particularly on the political, military, economic, and scientific sectors, with the aim of, among other things, investigating and manipulating political decision-making processes, as well as acquiring and sabotaging know-how,” the report finds.The report did find a slight decrease in individuals involved in violence-oriented Islamist extremism in Germany in 2025.

German Intelligence Service Warning of Growing Threat From Extremists on Both Left and Right

German Intelligence Service Warning of Growing Threat From Extremists on Both Left and Right

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