Ahead of the Interior Ministers Conference in Hamburg, the Greens have accused various ministers of ignoring the pervasive dangers posed by right-wing extremism. In an appeal reported by the Rheinische Post, 17 prominent interior politicians from both federal and state levels stated that combating right-wing extremism should not be relegated to a side issue during the upcoming conference. They emphasized that right-wing extremism remains one of the most significant domestic political threats, continuing to operate at an alarmingly high level. The Greens noted that assaults targeting CSDs, refugee accommodations, and politically engaged individuals underscore the tangible nature of the threat from the right, making the exclusion of the topic from the Interior Ministers Conference particularly perplexing.
The Greens’ demands include a more decisive approach to countering the radicalization of young people within social media, along with enhanced protections for victims. Furthermore, they insist on the disarmament of constitutional enemies, the dismantling of right-wing extremist financial structures, and the implementation of reliable prevention and deradicalization programs.
Marcel Emmerich, the Bundestag faction’s interior political spokesperson, told the Rheinische Post that the danger from right-wing extremists is especially acute for many people given the upcoming state elections and the ongoing CSD season. Similarly, Julia Höller, Greens’ deputy faction spokesperson and interior political spokesperson in the North Rhine-Westphalia state parliament, sharply criticized the Interior Ministers. She stated that despite the rise in right-wing violence, there is a clear deficiency in the collective political will among federal and state Interior Ministers to take coordinated action.
