Underestimated – The threat of right-wing terrorism

Our co-production “Underestimated – The Threat of Right-wing Terrorism” is now available on Arte-Mediathek Both episodes were broadcast on 24 March at 8.15 pm.

Right-wing terrorism is on the rise in Europe. In Germany and France, several attacks have been committed by radicalised lone perpetrators who dream of a ‘race war’ and the fight against the ‘Great Replacement’. Although far-right violence is nothing new, what is worrying is that the perpetrators are coming from an increasingly diverse range of social groups.

Far-right ideologues and parties are spreading hate speech within society directed against minorities and political opponents. In Europe and the United States, the number of far-right violent incidents has been rising at an alarming rate for years. Attacks, shootings and murders are increasingly targeting minorities and representatives of democratic institutions. In recent years, the French security authorities have managed to prevent several planned attacks. Among those arrested are individuals who only became radicalised following the jihadist attacks of 2015. Nevertheless, the judiciary remains reluctant to classify certain acts of violence as terrorist acts.

At the same time, far-right groups are forming across the country and are taking increasingly violent action against their perceived opponents. France is still grappling with the consequences of right-wing terrorism – a problem that Germany has been facing since the 2000s.

In Germany, particular attention has been focused on the infiltration of the Bundeswehr by neo-Nazis and the rise in far-right violence following Angela Merkel’s decision to admit refugees in 2015. Furthermore, Germany is one of the countries with the highest number of attacks on politicians. At the same time, far-right activists, ideologues and parties such as the AfD are spreading an increasingly hate-filled discourse within society.