BERLIN: Germany reported a new high in the number of politically motivated crimes committed last year, as public outrage over government efforts to combat the pandemic fueled extremism.

The interior ministry and the BKA federal crime bureau recorded 55,048 political-related offences, a 23 percent increase over 2020.

Nearly 22,000 of the illegal activities were linked to the right wing, down 7% from the previous year, while around 10,000 were assigned to the left wing, down nearly 8%.

Another 21,340 cases, or 147 percent, could not be categorised politically, the majority of which were tied to rallies against state limits to combat the spread of coronavirus, with involvement from both political parties.

The new record, according to Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, highlights “how indispensable the work of the security authorities is in protecting our democracy”.

She branded far-right criminality “the greatest extremist threat to our democracy,” saying that right-wing extremists targeted 41% of victims of violent crimes in Germany.

Germany is combating the problem, according to Faeser, with “well-equipped security services, unyielding prosecution efforts, and an active civil society.”

According to German authorities, crimes targeting victims’ sexual orientation or identity have increased by more than 50%.

The survey also noted an almost 29% increase in anti-Semitic offences to 3,027, with the vast majority of those linked to the far-right scene (2,552).

Given Germany’s historical responsibility for the Holocaust, Faeser called the figure a “disgrace to our country.”

It was “shameful,” she said, that some radical opponents of pandemic restrictions “trivialised” the Nazis’ slaughter of Jews by wearing yellow stars used in their World War II persecution.

“We are aware of our responsibility to fight anti-Semitism with everything in our power and to protect Jews,” she said.

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