Minister offers help to German town facing far-right extremism

The town of Spremberg in the eastern German state of Brandenburg is to receive assistance in tackling a spate of far-right extremism following an urgent appeal from the mayor, Brandenburg interior minister René Wilke told dpa on Sunday.

The state's domestic intelligence agency would assist Spremberg Mayor Christine Herntier in combating increasing evidence of far-right sympathies in the town close to the border with Poland, Wilke said. The minister also aims to increase prevention measures in local schools.

Herntier, an independent, wrote in a letter to the town's almost 22,000 residents that the extreme right-wing milieu could no longer be ignored. She detailed far-right graffiti on public structures, including banned symbols and the glorification of Nazism.

Wilke praised the move. "I see that as courageous for a start, as she will not only be making friends for herself by it," he said.

He said mayors were faced with a dilemma – keep silent for fear of damaging their town's image, or illuminate the problems. The latter was the right approach, Wilke said.

Herntier is calling for a greater police presence in the town and for camera surveillance. Wilke, oversees Brandenburg's police, pointed to online radicalization as a serious problem.

According to the Brandenburg domestic intelligence agency, the number of far-right extremists in the state rose to 3,650 last year, almost a fifth more than in 2023, with 40% of them prepared to use violence.

The agency is concerned at increased radicalization and organization through social media.

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) was the clear winner in Spremberg in the February federal elections, securing 45.51% in the proportional vote, well ahead of the established parties.