Kenneth Glad
Security officials are tracking growing extremist activity among younger people. The warning comes amid tensions around elections, protests and digital networks.
Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, the BfV, has warned that extremist movements on both the far right and far left are expanding, with younger people becoming a particular concern as political tensions grow around protests, elections and online spaces.
DR said the agency presented its annual assessment of threats to German democracy, with far-right extremism still identified as the most serious danger.
The issue goes beyond the rising number of extremists. The BfV says radicalized young people are getting younger and becoming more willing to commit violence.
Online recruitment is becoming harder to contain
Steen Nørskov, Germany correspondent for DR, said: “It particularly worries the intelligence service. It believes that the extreme right is working systematically to radicalize the next generation in Germany. And they do this especially through the internet and social media such as Instagram, TikTok and closed online forums.”
Online recruitment has become a key part of Germany’s security debate because it can draw people into extremist spaces before they join formal organizations. Closed forums also make radical networks harder to monitor than public rallies or party events.
The BfV warning comes against a broader backdrop of political polarization, where fringe movements can use viral content, protest culture and distrust of institutions to reach new supporters.
As younger users spend more time in digital communities, extremist messaging can spread through entertainment-style content, private groups and repeated exposure to ideological language.
Extremist figures continue to climb
Figures show that German authorities estimate people with far-right extremist tendencies increased from 50,250 in 2024 to 58,700.
The same assessment puts the number of far-left extremists at 42,200, up from 38,000 over the same period.
Nørskov also pointed to a rise in violence around political activity, saying: “The number of attacks on police officers is rising in connection with demonstrations. There has also been harassment and violent attacks during the latest elections in Germany – attacks on candidates and political staff putting up posters.”
DR said that the police are preparing for possible clashes around AfD’s federal party conference in Erfurt on July 4–5, 2026.
AfD remains under pressure
Separately, Reuters reporting published by The Times of Israel said the BfV and Germany’s Interior Ministry estimate that about 28,000 of Alternative für Deutschland’s roughly 70,000 members may have the potential for right-wing extremism.
That figure was 20,000 the previous year, the same reporting said.
AfD has become one of Germany’s most closely watched political forces after strong election results and rising support in parts of the country.
Its growth has intensified debate over how democratic institutions should respond when a major party is accused of extremist tendencies.
The BfV found no sign that AfD had moved away from the positions that have drawn intelligence scrutiny. The party rejects the accusation that it is extremist and says the assessments are politically motivated.
Officials warn of wider risks
The report cited Björn Höcke, AfD’s leader in Thuringia, who described a United Nations resettlement program as “population replacement.”
Germany’s Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has described right-wing extremism as “the greatest threat to free German democracy,” according to DR.
Dobrindt also said: “From within, we face pressure from extremism of all stripes – in the digital space just as much as on the streets.”
The latest warnings make youth radicalization, online networks, street violence and party politics part of the same security challenge.
For German authorities, the concern is that these pressures can reinforce one another, turning digital messaging into real-world mobilization and making extremist activity harder to contain..
Sources: DR, The Times of Israel, Reuters, BfV
