Saxony's top constitutional protection officer warns that extremists are increasingly gaining a foothold in the middle classes with their issues. The "winter of rage" hasn't materialized so far, but not the potential for outrage. Radicalization can not only be observed in the right-wing camp. Drivers are social media.
The Office for the Protection of the Constitution in Saxony has registered a radicalization in protest movements. "Both the Corona protests and the anti-refugee protests have led to a dissolution of boundaries in mainstream society. Right-wing extremists propagate issues and thus find a connection in the middle classes," said Dirk-Martin Christian, President of the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution ( LfV). People from the middle of society would not contradict extremist positions and would not mind demonstrating alongside right-wing extremists. "The middle of society is becoming fragile."
"We still have a latent protest milieu in Bavaria," said Christian. Most recently, people also took to the streets because of the Ukraine war and energy prices. However, the protests were nowhere near the scale that played a role during the corona pandemic or the 2015 refugee crisis. "The 'Winter of Anger' hasn't happened so far. But that doesn't mean that the potential for protest has disappeared." Depending on which topic is suitable as an initial spark, protests could flare up at any time.
"We are dealing with people who react to topics with potential for outrage. Some of these are the same people who took to the streets against refugees in the past. Now their topic is, for example, the traffic light coalition in the federal government. The topics are arbitrary interchangeable, they just have to capture you in personal life." The protest milieu remains in place and can be called up at any time. "That's why you can't give the all-clear. Many people remain in their protest attitude."
According to Christian, right-wing extremism remains the greatest threat to democracy, including in Saxony. As evidence, he also cited dealings with "national settlers". Behind this are right-wing extremists who are striving for an "intact national community" in remote areas and thus want to escape the "multicultural life" in big cities. There are efforts of this kind nationwide, in Saxony especially in the Leisnig area. "People see them as decent people, hard-working young people with children. This is how the right-wing extremists gain acceptance. But if the majority doesn't dissociate themselves, it's easy for the extremists. One day the ripe apple will fall from the tree."
According to Christian, radicalization is not limited to the "right" and is also emerging in the climate movement. "We see a certain lack of distance towards left-wing extremist positions among climate activists. There are forms of action, including serious crimes, which parts of the climate movement either do not reject or only half-heartedly reject. Left-wing extremists try to support movements such as 'Ende Gelände' or 'Fridays for Future' for to instrumentalize their anti-constitutional agenda and to attract newcomers to the scene. The movement is very heterogeneous and not extremist as a whole. However, extremists see a high degree of connectivity when it comes to the climate issue."
"Quite a few people have doubts about democracy and our system, especially young people. There is a deep distrust of traditional media," said the LfV President, describing another finding. More and more people would only get information via social media. "That's a danger. Because opinion-making is also organized on social media. People are in their respective bubbles and swing themselves up in them." Christian speaks of "digital extremism".
The verbal radicalization in society will mainly continue through these channels. "When our political system shows apparent weaknesses, it is immediately carried and dramatized as a shitstorm on social media. Digitization has given extremist efforts a boost. You don't have the feeling that you can stop it and get the genie back in the bottle. " Social media are a problem if used uncritically. "They change our image of humanity, the way we treat each other and also our political thinking."
