Is Germany overrun with violent Right-wing extremists? A recent article in Politico covering a surge in “extreme-right crime” would suggest so. Germany’s interior ministry recently published a report on “Politically Motivated Crime” and, at first glance, the alarmism appears to be justified.
The number of politically motivated crimes did indeed increase sharply in 2024, rising by over 40% compared to 2023, where German authorities recorded more than 84,000 incidents. Most of these, however, are not crimes against a person or property. The majority of these cases are categorised as propaganda offences, meaning inciting, insulting or offensive messages that have been spread online or otherwise.
