DREAM / The Prime Minister resigns and wakes up under the Parisian bridge!

 Kliko këtu për të tjera
Voxpress:

Germany's intelligence chief warns that outside forces are targeting attacks against Germany's constitutional order

2023-05-22 19:33:28Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Germany's intelligence chief warns that outside forces are targeting
German police

The head of Germany's intelligence agency warned on Monday of a rise in anti-government extremism fueled by foreign actors such as Russia seeking to divide society and even topple the government. German security agencies have foiled several plots in recent years by small groups accused of planning attacks on critical infrastructure, government officials and even parliament.

It is still not clear how advanced the plans were for attacks against Germany's constitutional order, but authorities have indicated that the now-banned groups had secured weapons and included people who are not usually on the radar of security agencies, such as judges. and police officers.

Thomas Haldenwang, who heads the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, or BfV, said the mix of previously known groups - from far-right extremists to those promoting conspiracy theories of the QAnon ideology - and their willingness to use violence was particularly disturbing.

"What connects all these groups is that they despise the state and our democracy, reject it and want to overthrow it," said the head of the German intelligence agency, Thomas Haldenwang, in an interview with the AP news agency.

Mr Haldenwang says anti-government extremists consciously use issues of public importance to incite fear and gain new supporters.

These issues include migration but also government measures to curb the Covid pandemic and combat environmental change.

"All these issues can be used to spread a particular theory and to give the impression that the state is not in control of certain situations and therefore it should be overthrown," he says.

These include the government's latest plans to encourage Germans to replace old oil and gas heating appliances with more energy efficient and environmentally friendly ones. The plans have been met with hostility from opposition parties and extremist groups seeking to capitalize on Germans' fears that they will face high costs, despite warnings from experts that the current equipment is more expensive in the long run.

"The more complex an issue is, the more there is a tendency to look for simple answers and run after people who offer an easy solution to problems. Often these people are from extremist circles," Mr. Haldenwang said.

Germany's intelligence chief says such efforts are actively encouraged by countries like Russia, which is interested in destabilizing democracy in Europe's largest economy.

"When they realize that some feelings in the country can lead to separation, they try to exploit them. And we see a large number of measures being taken to that end," said Mr. Haldenwang.

Mr Haldenwang cited disinformation spread by Russian state media and internet platforms.

Apart from the far-right Alternative for Germany party, which has been put under surveillance by German intelligence, among the most prominent figures attacking the government are the 'Left Party' lawmaker Sahra Wagenknecht and Mr Haldenang's own predecessor, Hans -Georg Maassen, who was fired five years ago after downplaying violence against migrants.

Mr Haldenwang also warns that coup plots like those foiled last year are likely not to be the last

"We are monitoring such efforts intensively, very carefully, and I am sure we will be able to intervene in time together with other security agencies," says Mr. Haldenwang.


Në përputhje me standarded JTI

Video

SHIKO KANALIN NE YOUTUBE
×