Another large exercise, the 2017 GETEX (Gemeinsame Terrorismusabwehr-Exercise), brought together military and police units to simulate coordinated responses to mass-casualty attacks. Smaller drills have continued, often justified in terms of supposed domestic extremism. 

Bundeswehr commanders argue that such training is vital given recent events, including the December 2022 plot by the Reichsbürger movement to overthrow the government. Critics, however, see creeping militarisation and a blurred line between civil security and military force.

Much of this is tied up with what seems to be an ever-present fear for the nation’s politicians: the fear of rising Right-wing extremism.

The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, reported that the number of what it calls “Right-wing extremists” rose from 33,900 in 2021 to 38,800 in 2022. Albeit there is evidence of Left-wing extremism growing as well.

A Solution in Search of a Problem?

However, several cases suggest that the threat of extremism is, to some large degree, a politically expedient fantasy.

Consider the Rentnerputsch: On December 7th, 2022, German authorities launched an extensive operation involving 3,000 police officers, executing over 150 raids and arresting 25 individuals linked to an alleged far-right group plotting to overthrow the government. The aim was allegedly – and somewhat farcically – to install one 71-year-old Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss as Germany’s leader. And yet, despite the scale of the response it elicited, the plot commanded neither the skills nor resources to depose the government. This raises the question of whether the whole thing was more a propaganda coup than anything else, one meant to prop up the spectre of extremism in order to justify repressive actions.

We may also look at the long-running “Bundeswehr scandal”. Franco Albrecht, a Bundeswehr officer, was arrested in 2017 for creating a false identity as a Syrian refugee and plotting attacks against high-profile individuals, for which he was convicted in July 2022. 

The case was cited as evidence of extremism within Germany's military, in response to which then-Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen ordered an extensive review of Bundeswehr barracks to confiscate symbols deemed out of keeping with the modern state. No widespread reactionary culture was uncovered, however, leading some to see the whole affair as a self-serving crusade to inflate von der Leyen’s political profile at the expense of an already demoralised, often underfunded, armed forces. 

Similarly, the August 29, 2020, incident involving anti-COVID19 lockdown demonstrators briefly occupying the steps of the Reichstag was initially portrayed as a threat to democracy. More of a breeze than a “storming” of parliament, however, a subsequent inquiry revealed that while a few hundred persons stood on the Reichstag’s steps, there was no great escalation beyond this, nor any coordination with protest organisers.

Criminalising Dissent?

Indeed, heavy-handed tactics have not been limited to the “far Right.” Human Rights Watch has documented aggressive policing at pro-Palestine protests in 2023 and climate activist demonstrations in 2024. Reports detail increased use of pepper spray, batons, and mass detentions.

Meanwhile, intelligence agencies are broadening their scope.

Data from the German Institute for Human Rights indicates that surveillance measures, initially justified to combat terrorism, are increasingly being used against activists, journalists, and whistleblowers. 

The expansion of monitoring powers raises questions: is Germany combating extremism, or criminalising dissent?

Raids and drills cannot solve social fracture. 

If domestic extremism poses a real challenge, it would need addressing from the root. But like any hammer, a security apparatus must seek out its nail. Ultimately, there can be no substitute for a vigilant civil society in preventing the erosion of basic freedoms. 

Statement

Germany has expanded military-police cooperation, holding large-scale exercises like "Air Defender 23" and "GETEX" to prepare for domestic threats, especially right-wing extremism. However, there is evidence that this threat is being exaggerated for political gain. Cases like the 2022 Reichsbürger coup attempt and the Bundeswehr scandal suggest an overstated extremist danger. Meanwhile, aggressive policing at protests and increased surveillance raise concerns about criminalising dissent, militarising law-enforcement and eroding civil liberties.