Latest news with #Thuringia
Japan Times
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Japan Times
Germany's far-right AfD harbors growing number of extremists: spy agency
Germany's biggest opposition party the Alternative for Germany is harboring a growing number of right-wing extremists, the domestic spy agency said in its annual report on Tuesday, reporting also a surge in overall crime motivated by right-wing extremism. The number of extremists within the AfD, which came second in a federal election in February, rose by 77% last year to 20,000 in tandem with a growth in party membership and its shift rightward, the agency said. The agency last month classified the party at large as "extremist" on the basis of a 1,100-page experts' report enabling it to step up monitoring of the AfD, although the party has legally challenged this. Party statements frequently included xenophobic and anti-Muslim positions, with migrants from predominantly Islamic countries often accused of cultural incompatibility and a strong inclination toward criminal behavior, the agency said on Tuesday. AfD leaders frequently made statements that could be considered to attack the constitution during state election campaigns in eastern Germany last year — and mostly were not reined in by the party, the agency said. It cited the leader of the AfD in Thuringia, Bjoern Hoecke, who at a campaign event in August said the election could "lead to the implosion of the cartel party system" and "finally bring about something that is a true democracy." Crime motivated by right-wing extremism in Germany jumped 47.4% last year, including 6 attempted murders up from 4 in 2023 and 23 cases of arson up from 16, the agency said.
The Independent
16 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Germany's main opposition party harbouring 20,000 extremists, says spy agency
Germany 's main opposition party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), is facing scrutiny as the nation's domestic spy agency reveals a concerning rise in right-wing extremism within its ranks. According to the agency's annual report, the number of identified extremists within the AfD surged by 77 per cent in 2024, reaching approximately 20,000 people. This increase coincides with the party's overall growth in membership and a noted shift towards more radical positions. The agency has also reported a parallel increase in overall crime motivated by right-wing extremism. In May, the agency classified the AfD as "extremist", based on a 1,100-page report. This classification allows for increased monitoring of the party, although the AfD has launched a legal challenge against the decision. Party statements frequently included xenophobic and anti-Muslim positions, with migrants from predominantly Islamic countries often accused of cultural incompatibility and a strong inclination toward criminal behaviour, the agency said. AfD leaders frequently made statements that could be considered to attack the constitution during state election campaigns in eastern Germany in 2024 - and mostly were not reined in by the party, the agency said. It cited the leader of the AfD in Thuringia, Bjoern Hoecke, who at a campaign event in August said the election could "lead to the implosion of the cartel party system" and "finally bring about something that is a true democracy". Crime motivated by right-wing extremism in Germany jumped 47.4 per cent in 2024, including six attempted murders, up from four in 2023. There were also 23 cases of arson, up from 16, the agency said. AfD surged to an historic second place in the national elections in February, securing an unprecedented influence in the country's post-war political landscape. The party doubled their share from 2021 to win 20.8 per cent of the vote in the election, in a surge described by victor Friedrich Merz – whose conservative bloc won with just 28.5 per cent – as a 'final warning' to democratic parties. AfD leaders have been fined for using banned Nazi slogans and members expelled for suspected paramilitary involvement. Its electoral success came in a campaign dominated by concerns over immigration and marred by three suspected terror attacks, bolstering support for the hardline anti-migrant party.
Reuters
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Germany's far-right AfD harbours growing number of extremists
BERLIN, June 10 (Reuters) - Germany's biggest opposition party the Alternative for Germany is harbouring a growing number of right-wing extremists, the domestic spy agency said in its annual report on Tuesday, reporting also a surge in overall crime motivated by right-wing extremism. The number of extremists within the AfD, which came second in a federal election in February, rose by 77% last year to 20,000 in tandem with a growth in party membership and its shift rightwards, the agency said. The agency last month classified the party at large as "extremist" on the basis of a 1,100-page experts' report enabling it to step up monitoring of the AfD, although the party has legally challenged this. Party statements frequently included xenophobic and anti-Muslim positions, with migrants from predominantly Islamic countries often accused of cultural incompatibility and a strong inclination toward criminal behavior, the agency said on Tuesday. AfD leaders frequently made statements that could be considered to attack the constitution during state election campaigns in eastern Germany last year - and mostly were not reined in by the party, the agency said. It cited the leader of the AfD in Thuringia, Bjoern Hoecke, who at a campaign event in August said the election could "lead to the implosion of the cartel party system" and "finally bring about something that is a true democracy". Crime motivated by right-wing extremism in Germany jumped 47.4% last year, including 6 attempted murders up from 4 in 2023 and 23 cases of arson up from 16, the agency said.
BBC News
16-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
How did an Ayrshire bin end up in a German village?
A North Ayrshire Council bin has swapped Saltcoats for sauerkraut - after being unexpectedly found in a German wheelie bin was spotted in the village of Viernau by an intrigued local, who took to social media to ask if anyone had any idea how it had arrived Ayrshire Council told BBC Scotland News it was uncertain how the container had managed to wind up abroad, but the continental jaunt could be linked to its manufacturer, the German company SSI in the Dull Men's Club Facebook group suggested it had perhaps fallen foul of safety regulations in the UK, and then been reused in Germany instead. Christian Kühne posted the image, and wrote: "A wheelie bin from the North Ayrshire Council appears in front of my company. In the middle of Germany."I'm confused and curious what might be the story behind it. Is someone in the North Ayrshire Region missing his wheelie bin?"Commentors also pointed out it was a combination of a brown bin - meaning it should be used for garden waste - with a blue bin lid, which should be for paper and recycling. A spokesperson for North Ayrshire Council confirmed to BBC Scotland News that Viernau - in the state of Thuringia in the eastern part of Germany - had not been added to the local authority's usual bin collection said: "This German street is definitely not part of our regular collection route so we're very curious as to how it ended up here."We can say that this bin was manufactured more than 20 years ago by a German company, SSI Schaffer, so it may have been a spare from the manufacturer which found its way into local use."As bins are the property of residents, it's also possible that it could have been taken to Germany by a former resident moving to the area and may have been used to store items in the move."The spokesperson said the council would be interested to find out how it arrived. Social media suggestions ranged from realistic possibilities about it being reused by the manufacturers to pondering whether an unfortunate person in Ayrshire was currently wondering where their bin had gone.
