斯德哥尔摩国际和平研究所-Preventing-Violent-Extremism-in-Germany_-Coherence-and-Cooperation-in-a-Decentralized-System_28页_326kb

Summary: Preventing Violent Extremism in Germany: Coherence and Cooperation in a Decentralized System

Core Content

This document explores the German government's strategies for preventing violent extremism, particularly Islamist extremism, within the context of its decentralized political and legal system. It outlines the challenges of defining and addressing extremist crimes, the evolving nature of extremism in Germany, and the institutional frameworks and collaborative efforts involved in counter-extremism initiatives.

Main Points

1. Understanding Violent Extremism and Crime

• Definition and Ambiguity: The concept of violent extremism is not universally defined. It involves thinking and behavior outside societal norms and can be linked to political, religious, or ideological motivations.
• Overlap with Crime: There is an overlap between traditional crime and extremist violence, with some extremist groups having a criminal past. This blurs the lines between different types of offenses and complicates prevention strategies.
• Hate Crime as a Separate Category: Hate crime, particularly against religious, sexual, and ethnic minorities, is increasingly viewed as a distinct category from violent extremism, even though it often shares similar motivations.

2. Political and Legal Context in Germany

• Demographic Changes: Germany has a growing Muslim population and a shrinking Christian population, which influences the context of extremist activity.
• Polarization: There is increasing polarization between religious and non-religious groups, as well as in political parties, with centrist parties losing ground to left and right-wing groups.
• Electoral Trends: The rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AFD) and the decline of the National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD) reflect changing political dynamics.
• Federal Structure: Germany is a federal system with 16 autonomous states (Bundesländer), each with its own police and intelligence services. The federal government handles national security, foreign affairs, and defense, while states manage domestic security and education.

3. Security Institutions

• Federal Services:
  • Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (BFV): Federal Domestic Intelligence Service.
  • Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND): Federal Intelligence Service.
  • Bundeskriminalamt (BKA): Federal Criminal Police Office.
  • Bundespolizei: Federal Police.
  • Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik (BSI): Focuses on cybersecurity.
• State Services:
  • Each state has its own police and domestic intelligence service, often with specialized units for different types of extremism.
• Joint Institutions:
  • GTAZ (Joint Counter-Terrorism Centre): Focuses on Islamist terrorism.
  • GETZ (Joint Extremism and Terrorism Prevention Centre): Addresses politically motivated terrorism.
  • GIZ (Joint Internet Centre): Monitors online extremist content.
  • GASIM (Joint Analysis and Strategy Centre for Illegal Migration): Deals with migration-related security issues.
  • KIA (Coordinated Internet Analysis): Specializes in right-wing, left-wing, and foreigner extremism.

4. Strategies for Crime Prevention and Extremism

4.1 Federal Strategy on Extremism Prevention and Promotion of Democracy (2016)

• Two Main Concepts: Promoting democratisation and preventing extremism.
• Democratisation: Encouraging democratic thinking, political culture, and educational engagement.
• Prevention: Measures to prevent the consolidation of extremist attitudes and to stop the transition to violent action.
• Target Groups: Includes individuals, groups, their environments, and potential offenders.
• Three Prevention Dimensions:
  • Primary: Preventing the environment from becoming conducive to crime.
  • Secondary: Reducing opportunities for crime.
  • Tertiary: Offering educational and rehabilitative measures to prevent reoffending.

4.2 National Prevention Programme against Islamist Extremism (NPP)

• Link to Federal Strategy: Directly connected to the 2016 Federal Strategy on Extremism Prevention and Promotion of Democracy.
• Role of NZK: The National Centre for Crime Prevention (NZK) plays a central role in implementing the NPP.
• Focus Areas: Includes counter-radicalization, deradicalization, and support for integration and reintegration programs.
• Coordination: Emphasizes the need for coherence and coordination between federal and state institutions.

5. Statistics on Crime and Extremism

• Right-Wing Violent Crimes: Dominant in Germany, with over 19,000 incidents in 2017 and 2018.
• Left-Wing Violent Crimes: Also present, with a growing trend.
• Religious Extremist Crimes: Increased from 907 in 2017 to 453 in 2018.
• Foreign Ideology-Linked Crimes: Rose from 1617 to 1928 between 2017 and 2018.
• Terrorist Activity: The number of individuals designated as extremists increased from ~90,000 in 2014 to ~113,000 in 2018.
• Violent Acts: Include attempted murder, arson, property damage, and coercion. The 2017 G20 summit in Hamburg highlighted the scale of security challenges.

Key Information

• Legal Framework: The German Constitution (Basic Law) allows for certain forms of extremism, but violent extremism and terrorism are explicitly criminalized.
• Ambiguity in Definitions: Definitions of extremism and violent extremism vary, and some crimes are being reclassified as 'normalized' due to media influence.
• Decentralized System: The federal system allows for a wide range of strategies and institutions, but also creates challenges in coordination and coherence.
• Need for Synergy: The paper emphasizes the importance of synergy and coherence between federal and state institutions to effectively prevent violent extremism.

Conclusions

Germany's approach to preventing violent extremism is shaped by its decentralized political structure and evolving societal dynamics. The interplay between crime prevention and counter-extremism is complex, with overlapping definitions and strategies. The National Prevention Programme against Islamist Extremism is a key component of this effort, highlighting the role of institutions like the National Centre for Crime Prevention (NZK). The document underscores the need for continued cooperation and coordination across different levels of government to address the multifaceted nature of violent extremism.