Interior ministers from Hesse and Saxony are advocating for a more robust approach against left-wing extremist violence ahead of the Interior Ministers Conference in Hamburg.
Hesse, for instance, has called for the examination of a ban on the “Indymedia” platform. Roman Poseck, the CDU Interior Minister of Hesse, told the publication “Welt” that Indymedia serves as “the central propaganda medium of the left-wing extremist scene.” He stressed that the platform regularly features statements describing alleged left-wing extremist crimes, warning: “We cannot allow this platform to promote criminal and violent acts.”
Hesse has also put forward other demands, including a current national situation report on violence-oriented left-wing extremism that clearly reveals “network structures and mobilization potentials.” Poseck cautioned that focusing excessively on right-wing extremism must not allow left-wing extremism to be underestimated. Furthermore, Hesse suggests reviewing “entry and exit bans” for suspected left-wing extremists who intend to attend rallies and violence.
Saxony is similarly calling for enhanced surveillance of the scene. Interior Minister Armin Schuster (CDU) stated in “Welt” that a new joint database on left-wing extremism, involving federal and state security authorities, would be an important tool to reduce investigative gaps. He noted that while law enforcement has long relied on joint information systems-such as the Right-Wing Extremism File (RED), established after the NSU murders-it is only consistent given the current situation for federal security agencies to assign a higher priority to left-wing extremism.
Both states are witnessing a significant rise in politically motivated crime. Overall, politically motivated criminality has recently increased by about 35 percent, exceeding 13,000 cases. While left-wing extremist acts rose by 42.6 percent to 1,087 cases, they still represent a small proportion of the total. The Hessian Interior Ministry reports that instances of violent offenses in Hesse have more than doubled, climbing from 19 to 48 cases, a sharp increase of about 153 percent. Poseck emphasized that these are not abstract figures, adding that they encompass incidents like arson attacks on Bundeswehr vehicles and assaults on critical infrastructure. A recent arson attack on a substation in Reutlingen, for example, caused a widespread power outage, though the background of the incident is still under investigation.
