German Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser has spoken out in favor of teaching children about the dangers of right-wing extremism in kindergarten.
“We have to smash right-wing extremist networks,” Faeser affirmed in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper on Sunday. “The state of law must not accept calls for murder and threats.
“We are resolutely combating this breeding ground for violence, but the fight against right-wing extremism starts much earlier, namely with good educational work. It has to start in kindergarten,” she added.
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The German interior minister called for the nurturing of young children to ensure that they are no longer susceptible to “ideologies of exclusion” and insisted this could be taught in a “playful” way.
“We need democratic education that makes it clear that it does not matter where a family came from, what skin color someone has, who they believe in, or who they love,” Faeser added.
The greatest threat comes from right-wing extremism
Faeser announced a package of measures and special laws to promote democracy. Among other things, she wants to tighten the weapons law and promote clubs against right-wing extremism. In addition, the politician plans to increasingly screen the public service for employees with right-wing extremist views.
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“I think you have to look at it when people reach the threshold where they are going against the state and questioning the state. Then, you can no longer represent the state. Anyone who doubts about the country in public service has no business there,” she claimed.
Her agenda against right-wing extremism comes after the Germany’s interior ministry reported on a troubling rise in left-wing violence in Germany in 2021.
“Covid-19 protests were infiltrated by right-wing extremists”
The federal interior has already made alarmist claims about right-wing extremism, saying it was the greatest threat to democracy in Germany, and drew particular attention to the alleged infiltration of the protests against pandemic measures by right-wing forces.
“The willingness to use violence is increasing. Many lateral thinkers are becoming more radical,” Faeser warned. “Threats and intimidation are absolutely unacceptable! We must step up efforts to promote social cohesion and overcome attempts by anti-democratic forces to split,” she added in a recent tweet.
Germany’s new left-wing government is threatening to take authoritarian measures in regards to the protests, including shutting down the Telegram app messaging service. The app has been used as a platform for sharing censored views on Covid-19 an organizing opposition protests.
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She has kept most silent about left-wing extremism and Islamic terrorism. She has also recently been criticized for publishing an article in “Antifa” magazine, which is run by an organization recognized as an extremist organization by the German federal government
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (SPD), who had repeatedly compared critics of the measures to the right-wing extremists, offered similar remarks.
“Anyone who opposes our law and joins forces with self-declared enemies of the state and right-wing extremists who are known to protect the constitution can no longer credibly invoke democracy and freedom,” Steinmeier claimed.
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Recently published information from the Ministry of the Interior in response to a small request from the Left Party in the Bundestag seems to contradict this representation. In 2021, for example, there were fewer right-wing extremist acts than there have been in ten years.
As the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung daily reported on Sunday, 7,700 people participated in 91 right-wing extremist demonstrations last year. According to the Ministry of the Interior, the number of participants had halved compared to the previous year. In 2019, there were still 347 events with 22,500 visitors.
