Online Radicalization: A Rising Concern Amongst Schleswig-Holstein's Youth
Radical Groups Prey on Juvenile Populus - Youths Fall Prey to Radical Influences
Sound the alarm! Experts are worried about the influence of extremists on young people in Schleswig-Holstein, via social media platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. The Interior Minister of Schleswig-Holstein, Sabine Sütterlin-Waack (CDU), voiced serious concerns about this matter while presenting the new constitution protection report, stating, "This is a significant problem for our society."
This isn't just an issue with Islamists but is rampant across the board of extremism, Sütterlin-Waack continued. Young people are no longer receptive to traditional media, and the internet is their breeding ground. This fact is particularly evident in the area of radicalization.
Torsten Holleck, head of the constitution protection agency, explained, "The missionizing work finds fertile ground via the classic platforms TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube." This is due to current global crises, conflicts in the Middle East, or debate on the environment. Discussions on the possibility of war in Europe even escalate the matter, acting as a catalyst for receptiveness to take on radical extremist positions.
Another focus is on the Identitarian Movement, which operates under the name Nordfeuer in the North. Sütterlin-Waack asserted that, "The New Right is trying to subtly occupy societal political themes with its own terms and narratives, which have clearly unconstitutional content." They are working to increase acceptance for extremist positions in mainstream society.
In 2024, constitution protectors saw a significant increase in politically motivated crimes, with an increase of 54.3% compared to the previous year, reaching 2,677 cases - the highest figure yet. Almost all areas observed by the constitution protection agency showed a roughly consistent number of people assigned to these fields. However, there was future growth in the "Reichsbürger" and "self-administrators" categories, growing from 700 to approximately 800 people.
Right-wing extremism was the main focus of authorities' work. Although the number of registered right-wing extremists in the state decreased by 20 to 1,180, 350 are still considered violent. In 2024, 1,516 crimes were recorded (an increase of 55.5% compared to the previous year). Despite the AfD in Schleswig-Holstein not being a confirmed right-wing extremist movement, the party played a role in the so-called "Day of the Precursor" on July 20, 2024, with numerous individuals and organizations from the right-wing extremist spectrum participating.
Although specific data on Schleswig-Holstein might be limited in available sources, we can examine the general causes, effects, and measures to combat right-wing extremism in Germany. Three main causes of right-wing extremism are socio-economic factors, immigration and cultural changes, and polarization due to social media. Extremist ideologies often contribute to social division, political instability, and increased violence and hate crimes. Measures to combat right-wing extremism include monitoring and regulation, education and awareness, community engagement, and legislative measures.
The threat from left-wing extremism and Islamist terrorism remains high. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution attributes a total of 820 people to Islamism, with approximately 700 people belonging to Salafism. "We are relieved that Schleswig-Holstein, despite the existing potential, has fortunately been spared an attack so far," said the Minister.
- Constitution protection Report
- Schleswig-Holstein
- TikTok
- Sabine Sütterlin-Waack
- YouTube
- Islamists
- Right-wing extremism
- Immigration
- Social Media
- AfD
- Middle East conflict
- Europe
- Police
- Ideology
- Violence
- Hate Crimes
The Commission is also proposing to extend the scope of the programme to cover the areas of politics, general-news, and crime-and-justice, given the rise of extremism and politically motivated crimes in Schleswig-Holstein. This is particularly relevant as the Interior Minister, Sabine Sütterlin-Waack, stated that the New Right is trying to subtly occupy societal political themes with its own terms and narratives, creating an increase in receptiveness to extremist positions in mainstream society.
