Right-wing violence in Germany reaches 10-year high

Police in Germany recorded more right-wing motivated violent crimes last year than at any time since 2016, German Press Agency DPA reported on Friday.

A total of 1,598 such incidents were registered at the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) for 2025 as of the cutoff date of Jan. 31, 2026, DPA cited a government response to a parliamentary inquiry from the opposition The Left party.

In most cases, investigations were conducted for assault or aggravated assault.

According to the data, Germany recorded 1,488 right-wing motivated violent crimes in 2024, while 1,270 violent crimes with a right-wing background were registered in 2023.

Typical politically motivated crimes include defamation of the state and its symbols, incitement of the people, and insult. Violent crimes include homicide, assault, breach of the peace, dangerous interference with traffic, unlawful detention, and resisting arrest.

Meanwhile, Ferat Kocak, a domestic policy spokesperson for the Left Party, accused the federal government of failing to respond appropriately to the alarming rise in right-wing violence.

“At least four incidents last year could have ended fatally,” said the Berlin-based lawmaker.

The federal government is denying the threat and, at the same time, with the planned cuts to the “Demokratie leben!” program, is dismantling precisely the prevention and education projects that could counteract this threat, Kocak added.