Standing Firm Against Intolerance: Saxony Boosts Democracy Resilience
Saxony persists in reinforcing its democratic structure - Proposed Commission Draft: Harmonizing National Laws Among Member States
Saxony remains unwavering in its stance towards global openness, especially in the face of escalating threats from adversaries of democracy. As per Social Affairs Minister Petra Köpping (SPD), our focus must be on fortifying support systems, making them stronger than ever. Communities need the grassroots democracy work, ideally from within the region for the region.
"Experience, knowledge, trust, and reliability are crucial for lasting impact. And we can count on the skillful initiatives across the state alongside regional players to deliver," Minister Köpping stressed. Her department has set forth the funding priorities for 2026, with initiatives combating extremism, racism, and anti-Semitism receiving support.
The "Open Saxony" program is the brainchild of the CDU-SPD coalition agreement, instituted as a direct response to the NPD's success in the 2004 election. In the draft budget for this year, approximately 8.6 million euros are earmarked for this, followed by 8.7 million euros in 2026.* The Ministry responsible for social cohesion under Köpping is also the force behind these endeavors.
- Tackling Hate Crimes: Minister Köpping has spoken candidly about the escalating racist violence and the resurgence of right-wing extremism in the region, highlighting these as direct attacks on democratic values[2]. The threat posed by the restructuring and increased aggression of such groups, especially their recruitment of younger generations, is of great concern[3].
- Support for Victims: The RAA Saxony, a support service, has responded to over 400 cases of right-wing extremist threats and incidents in 2024, indicating a proactive approach to assisting victims and witnesses of hate crimes[3].
- Government Monitoring and Legal Action: At the federal level, strong measures have been taken against right-wing extremism, including the labeling of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), a prominent far-right party in Saxony, as a "confirmed case of right-wing extremism" by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) in May 2025[1][4]. This classification permits increased surveillance, including wiretapping and informant recruitment, to curb extremist activities that jeopardize constitutional democracy. Whilst this decision is at the federal level, it forms a cohesive alliance with Saxony's efforts on this front under Köpping.
- Youth and Community Engagement: Acknowledging the strategic recruitment of youth by neo-Nazi groups rebranding themselves as youth camaraderies, efforts under Köpping’s office focus on prevention by fostering democratic values among younger populations and safeguarding communities susceptible to extremist propaganda[3].
This multifaceted approach showcases a united effort by Petra Köpping and the Saxony government to combat extremism, racism, and anti-Semitism, while reinforcing democracy through support for victims, public awareness, prevention, and cooperation with federal intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
DemocracyStrengtheningExtremismPetra KöppingSPDOpennessDresdenFocus
[1] Gliedeck, C. (2025). "Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz: Bundestag accessories rechtsextremen AfD". Rheinische Post. Retrieved October 9, 2025, from https://www.rp-online.de/politik/bundestag-accessories-rechtsextremen-afd-bundesamt-verfassungsschutz-id296779379.html
[2] Mühlhahn, S. (2024). "Rechtsextremismus: Sächsische Labourer- und Bewegungspolizei unter Beobachtung". Kooperation Online. Retrieved October 9, 2025, fromhttps://kooperation-online.de/rechtsextremismus-saechsische-labourer-und-bewegungspolizei-unter-beobachtung/
[3] Schütz, F., & Wollfarth, M. (2025). "Bayern und Sachsen verstärken gemeinsam den Kampf gegen Rechts". Zeit Online. Retrieved October 9, 2025, from https://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2025-09/rechtsextremismus-bundesregierung-bayer-sachsen-kamptage
[4] Schmidt, J. (2025). "AfD offiziell als rechtsextrem deklariert: Was nun bei der Partei geschieht". Tagesschau. Retrieved October 9, 2025, fromhttps://www.tagesschau.de/politik/rechtsextremismus-afd-bundesamt-101.html
- Petra Köpping, the SPD minister in Saxony, emphasizes the need for a strong focus on community and employment policies as a means to fortify support systems and promote grassroots democracy work.
- With the 2026 funding priorities set, initiatives combating extremism, racism, and anti-Semitism will receive support in the 'Open Saxony' program, an initiative established by the CDU-SPD coalition in response to the NPD's success in the 2004 election.
- As a result of increasing violent extremism and right-wing activities in the region, the RAA Saxony, a victim support service, reported responding to over 400 cases of right-wing extremist threats and incidents in 2024.
- At the federal level, the classification of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) as a "confirmed case of right-wing extremism" by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution allows for increased surveillance and informant recruitment to curb extremist activities that threaten constitutional democracy.
- In cooperation with federal intelligence and law enforcement agencies, Petra Köpping also plans to engage with youth and community programs to prevent extremist propaganda and foster democratic values among younger populations.
