Democracy in danger: the shadow of right -wing extremism on Meißen

Democracy in danger: the shadow of right -wing extremism on Meißen

Senftenberg, Deutschland - in Brandenburg, the contradictions of democracy are currently bounced on the tense reality on site. On the one hand, there are brave initiatives that actively work for an open and solidarity society; On the other hand, these groups are exposed to increasing pressure and enemy attacks. An example of this is the "Colorful Meißen" association, which fights for a democratic coexistence. According to the Amadeu Antonio Foundation, Sören Skalicks reports that the enemy atmosphere has increased significantly since the local elections in the summer of 2024. The AfD was able to prevail in the district elections in Saxony and achieved most of the votes.

After the association "Colorful Meißen" had strengthened its commitment to refugee people and democratic values, it became the goal of a right -wing extremist hate campaign. This was expressed in the form of threats, intimidation and even violence. There were incidents such as swastika smears, threatening emails, arson attacks and a hand grenade dummy in front of the club house. These attacks are symptomatic of a larger wave of violent attacks on youth centers and civil society institutions, as well as in the particularly shocking case of the attack of 30 hooded right -wing extremists on the youth club "Jamm" in Senftenberg in March 2025.

The role of the right scene

But not only locally, the right -wing extremists are noticeable. An investigative research by the Bavarian Radio shows that the AfD employs over 100 people from the right -wing extremist milieu in the Bundestag. Among them are activists of the "Identitarian Movement" and ideological pioneers of the "new right". This development raises questions about the influence of such groups on democratic culture, which is already under pressure through official inquiries from the CDU/CSU and AfD on the political neutrality of civil society organizations.

The Amadeu Antonio Foundation also emphasizes that "colorful Meißen" was deleted by a municipal list of proposal for EU funding-a step that came about through the cooperation from AfD, FDP, freelance citizens and parts of the CDU. The same thing is currently also experiencing the network for democratic culture e.V.

The noticeable threat

The acts of violence and attacks on civil society actors are not only alarming, but are also in a worrying trend. According to the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, there are around 32,000 people with right -wing extremist attitudes in Germany, 13,000 of whom are considered to be violent. There was an increase in right -wing extremists, which increase over 23,000 cases in 2020, with a significant increase in violent attacks. This situation not only endangers civil society, but also led to many politicians and activists withdraw for fear of attacks or resign.

The simultaneous increase in defamation and disinformation campaigns that are specifically directed against organizations such as "colorful Meißen" contribute to the desperate location. René Jurisch, an early candidate for the mayor elections in Meißen, defamates the club and fueled distrust and prejudices. These machinations are an expression of right -wing normalization that needs to be combated.

The situation in Brandenburg requires urgent need for action - it is important to strengthen places of resistance and diversity and to defend democracy in their daily practice. It is all the more important that the voices of civil society are heard - because in a democratic society there is a responsibility for respectful coexistence in each individual.