Politically motivated crime | Crime figures: Political crimes are on the rise, Dobrindt threatens

Never before have so many politically motivated crimes been recorded in Germany as in 2024. According to the Federal Criminal Police Office's (BKA) statistics on "politically motivated crime" (PMK) presented in Berlin on Tuesday, the number rose to over 84,000 detected cases – an increase of more than 40 percent compared to the previous year and the highest level since the statistics were introduced in 2001.

By far the largest proportion of these are right-wing extremist crimes. With over 42,000 cases, this area is not only numerically dominant, but also includes a particularly high number of violent crimes, with 1,488 entries. "The greatest threat to our democracy comes from right-wing extremism," Dobrindt emphasized. The fact that the authorities under his command are taking a closer look at this phenomenon is also thanks to his predecessor, Nancy Faeser. The SPD politician had declared the fight against the far-right a top priority – but she largely failed to take concrete measures to implement an action plan.

Dobrindt's second topic at the press conference was anti-Semitism crimes. Over 6,200 such cases were recorded in 2024 – also a new record in this area. According to the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), almost half can be attributed to the right-wing extremist spectrum, but the statistics also show that the proportion of foreign and religiously motivated perpetrators is increasing significantly. Dobrindt spoke of "anti-Israel demonstrations and Israel-hate demonstrations," whose participants he described as "imported anti-Semitism" – a term that is controversially discussed in academia, politics, and civil society organizations. "In view of Germany's historical responsibility," Dobrindt said, these anti-Semitic crimes are "in no way tolerable," and announced harsher consequences. These include "standard deportations" following convictions.

According to the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), the PMK phenomenon category "other classification" increased by more than 33 percent to 22,193 offenses. These include militant coronavirus deniers, many of whom could also be considered right-wing. In 2022, this number reached its highest level with over 24,000 cases.

The "left-wing extremism" observed by the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) is significantly lower in terms of quantity, with 9,971 offenses – but increased by a good quarter. The number of violent crimes declined significantly to 762 cases. Left-wing extremists are strongly represented in crimes related to environmental activism (1,352 cases) – although here, too, there was a drastic decline of 59 percent compared to the previous year. However, Dobrindt warned against notable individual acts such as the arson attack on a power pole at the Tesla factory in Berlin-Grünheide: Such acts can "affect the entire population."

In addition to the five areas of political crime, the PMK statistics are also divided into "focus areas." This includes the topic of "hate crime." Reported crimes increased by 28 percent to 21,773 cases in 2024—more than a quarter of all politically motivated crimes. The crimes, mostly committed in the PMK/right-wing area, are specifically directed against people or groups based on certain characteristics such as nationality, religion, skin color, or gender.

In addition to the Middle East conflict, the BKA chief cited the super election year of 2024—with the European elections, state elections in Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg—as well as the approaching federal election as the main reasons for the increase in PMK numbers. His office observed an increase of almost 19 percent in attacks on officials and members of political parties.

Münch also warned of hybrid threats: More than half of the Federal Prosecutor General's investigations involve Russian intelligence services, and acts of sabotage and drone overflights of military facilities are on the rise. "The connection between internal and external security is becoming ever closer," said the BKA chief – thus using a narrative that his predecessor, Jörg Ziercke, had already established in the 2000s.

When presenting the PMK statistics, Dobrindt and Münch repeatedly lamented increasing "social polarization," which is reflected in the sharp rise in case numbers. The BKA sees this as a consequence of global crises—such as the Middle East conflict or the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine—combined with social and economic uncertainty, societal change, and the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic. These developments have created a climate of uncertainty that fuels "radicalization." This is why protests on the streets are becoming more violent.

Politicians must decisively counter these developments, Dobrindt demanded. His approach, however, is likely to cause further division, because ultimately, it is also about normalizing the AfD. When asked, the minister stated that "constant debates" about whether the party should be banned are "counterproductive." Instead, it is necessary to examine how "polarization" can be counteracted in other ways. On this occasion, Dobrindt pointed out that the report submitted by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution was insufficient for AfD ban proceedings.

As a result of the significantly increasing PMK numbers, the Interior Minister announced a "security offensive." This includes harsher penalties: knife attacks will in future be punished as crimes with at least one year in prison, and attacks on police officers with a minimum prison sentence of six months instead of three. In addition, the police will be granted more powers, for example, through the storage of IP addresses by internet providers and increased video surveillance in crime hotspots. Münch and Dobrindt also emphasized the need for better equipment for the security authorities.

"The greatest threat to our democracy comes from right-wing extremism."

Alexander Dobrindt , CSU Federal Minister of the Interior