Nazism a façade for far-right extremism?

The German police on 9^th May detained another far-right extremist soldier, Maximillian T. He has been accused of accompanying the extremist lieutenant in the planned attack against public officials. The acts of violence were to be executed under the guise of Syrian refugees.

Deutsches Heer under lime light

The Bundeswehr (German Army) has reported of recurring instances of abuses. It is now facing additional problems especially after the arrest of the 28- year old extremist lieutenant, Franco A. The Austrian police arrested him in 2015 after he was caught hiding a gun at the Vienna airport’s washroom. He was successful at creating a fake identity and registering himself as a Syrian refugee, Franco A’s sporadic stays at the asylum for refugees was covered up by Maximillian T.

The three have been strongly suspected of preparing a “hit-list” against pro-immigrant public officials including current justice minister, Heiko Maas and spreading xenophobic ideologies. Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen visited the Franco-German brigade in Illkirch on Wednesday where the accused were stationed.  Expressing grave concerns over the rise of far-right extremist ideologies in the German army, she affirmed a thorough investigation to deal with the issue.

Analysis

The German army since 2012 has dismissed 82 far-right officials for conspiracy and threat to national peace. The continued obsession with the Nazi-era Wehrmacht is reflected in the increasing number of officials who have been detained on grounds of supporting the extremist point of view. Similar instances have been observed in Denmark where six religious figures were banned from entering the country for blasphemy, hate speech and propagation of extremist ideologies. Discovery of Nazi-era memorabilia in the barracks of Donaueschingen, in southwest Germany has further heightened suspicions. The possibility of a racially influenced attack has initiated a rigorous search of the barracks. However, the German law does not recognise the possession of Nazi-era articles as illegal and can detain people only if they possess the “swastika”.

 Assessment

Considering the influence that Germany and France enjoy over the European Union, the steps taken by them is most likely to influence member nations. Germany’s liberal “one door” immigration policy especially towards Syrians and Hungarians has been constantly citied as the reason for internal conflict. If it does not impose a stronger regulatory body at the border while admitting immigrants seeking asylum into the country then further disputes might only be a matter of time.

Chancellor Angela Merkel has reiterated her support of Defence Minister, Von der Leyen. With German federal elections to take place on 24^th September, the immigration crisis and its management is likely to play a large role in determining her victory. As countries are now facing immigrants from troubled areas, the social, cultural and ideological differences might lead to precarious conditions. Unless countries re-structure their immigration policies and establish effective identification systems, the innocent might have to face the brunt of the trade-off between security and goodwill.