Stress test for Germany's domestic security

In 2024, Germany's domestic security will not only face ever-increasing challenges, but also multiple – sometimes interlocking – threat scenarios. Looking back over the past few years, it is not possible to identify a phenomenon whose threat potential clearly stands out from other forms of extremism, as was the case after 11 September 2001, first with Islamism and then with a wave of right-wing terrorism. Rather, it is now the emergence of new movements, such as the Reichsbürger and self-administration scene, as well as the delegitimisation of the state relevant to the protection of the constitution and the simultaneous increase in the potential number of individuals and criminal offences in several phenomenon areas, which are presenting politicians and security authorities with new difficulties. 

This is aggravated by both the element of active foreign (state) influence and the general increase in interconnectedness between domestic and foreign actors. Extremist movements in Germany are financially supported by globally operating networks, underpin their ideology with ideological narratives from internationally operating actors and form long-term personal entanglements across national borders. Therefore, no phenomenon can be viewed in isolation, either independently of other forms of extremism or exclusively on a national level.

This anthology sheds light on selected challenges for domestic security in Germany, whereby the focus is not on a specific phenomenon area, but rather on different threats and developments. In a total of seven articles, current trends are analysed and evaluated with recommendations for action. The anthology will begin with a text on the current debate surrounding the so-called Delegitimierer. It then looks at the prosecution of terrorists in the context of the conflicts in Syria and Iraq. This is followed by an outline of the PKK's potential for violence in Germany and a characterisation of the Nigerian mafia. The publication also looks at the influence of Russia and China, prevention as a long-term strategy for averting danger and the practical use of artificial intelligence to monitor extremist statements on social media. 

Read the full study "Stresstest für die innere Sicherheit Deutschlands” here as PDF. Please note, to date the study is only available in German.