German Politically Motivated Crime Surges to Highest on Record

  • Minister warns of rise in right-wing extremism, Antisemitism
  • Antisemitic offenses have jumped since Hamas attack on Israel

Police stand guard outside the Reichstag in Berlin, Germany.

Photographer: Omer Messinger/Getty Images
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The number of politically motivated crimes in Germany rose to the highest level in almost a quarter of a century last year, driven by a surge in right-wing extremism and Antisemitism.

Authorities recorded 60,028 offenses in 2023, an increase of about 2%, according to figures published Tuesday by the interior ministry in Berlin. That was the most since the data set was created in 2001.