Germany has announced plans to step up efforts against left-wing militancy after activists claimed responsibility for an attack on a power station in January that caused Berlin’s longest electricity blackout since World War II, Reuters reported, citing Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt.
“Our security agencies will be significantly reinforced in the fight against left-wing extremism,” Dobrindt said on Tuesday, according to Reuters.
The Interior Minister said a reward of €1 million has been offered for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for the January attack, which authorities suspect was carried out by a far-left activist group known as the Volcano Group.
The incident left about 45,000 households without electricity during freezing temperatures.
Germany’s domestic intelligence agency will deploy additional staff to monitor and combat left-wing militancy, Dobrindt said, adding that new legislation is being prepared to expand the digital investigative powers of security authorities.
The proposed measures would include automated data analysis, biometric facial recognition, and the retention of IP addresses.
In its latest report, the domestic intelligence agency said left-wing–motivated crime rose by 38% in 2024, although the number of violent crimes linked to left-wing extremism fell by 27%.
Dobrindt stressed that the renewed focus, alongside a planned law to protect critical infrastructure, would not reduce efforts to combat other forms of extremism.
“We have had significant success against right-wing extremism and Islamist terrorism,” he said.
“However, the focus has not been sufficiently on left-wing extremism, and we are now seeing left-wing terrorism making a strong comeback.”
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