Far-Right Extremist Numbers in Brandenburg Surge 61% as Intelligence Warnings Grow Over Parliamentary Infiltration

Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Verfassungsschutz), has issued fresh alarms about extremists penetrating parliamentary structures. The warning follows the release of Brandenburg’s 2025 security report on June 5, which records a 61 percent increase in far-right extremists to 5,890 individuals. The sharp jump stems largely from the classification of the state’s AfD chapter as a “confirmed far-right extremist effort” in April 2025—putting all 3,600 party members into the extremist category.

Brandenburg State Interior Minister Jan Redmann expressed concern over a growing radicalization of young people through social media. The report also shows a 20 percent rise in left-wing extremism (660 persons) and a 16 percent increase in Islamism (260 persons). Violent far-right crimes climbed 28 percent to 145 offenses.

Parallel security assessments reveal that extremist influences now directly affect day-to-day legislative work. In the German Bundestag, seven staff members of the AfD parliamentary group have been denied permanent access badges. Intelligence findings link them to Russian propaganda networks. Across the border in Austria, more than ten employees of the FPÖ faction are under observation by domestic security agencies for suspected ties to the Identitarian Movement, which the Verfassungsschutz considers a security risk.

FPÖ parliamentary president Rosenkranz dismissed the reports as inaccurate, but intelligence officials insist the former Identitarian members require thorough vetting.

The debate over mandatory security checks for parliamentary staff has escalated. On Wednesday, several factions rejected stricter clearance procedures. However, the state of Bremen chose a different path: on June 4, its chancellery proposed that employees must in future submit certificates of good conduct. Candidates for the State Constitutional Court would also undergo preliminary intelligence screening.

Separate tensions have emerged over lawmakers’ ties to Moscow. On June 4, four AfD politicians traveled to the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Deputy faction leader Frohnmaier met Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller to discuss restarting Nord Stream pipelines. Germany’s Foreign Ministry sharply criticized the trip, calling it support for state-organized propaganda. President Vladimir Putin publicly praised the AfD on June 5, saying Moscow would work with forces willing to cooperate.

The AfD is also under fire at the European level. A 300-page report from the EU supervisory authority APPF, made public in late May, accuses the European ESN party—which includes the AfD—of violating EU core values. It documents antisemitic incitement and cooperation with Russia’s ruling party. The party faces potential loss of EU funding, with €2 million at stake for 2026.

Intelligence officials are now pointing to a second long-term infiltration risk. On June 4, Verfassungsschutz President Sinan Selen briefed lawmakers on the Muslim Brotherhood’s strategic efforts to gain footholds in political parties. The organization operates nonviolently and over extended periods to influence societal structures. Selen warned that left-leaning politicians are particularly vulnerable due to lack of awareness. The Left Party in the Bundestag has employed a consultant since November 2025 who is reportedly linked to Muslim Brotherhood circles. Minister Redmann noted that the group exploits the freedoms of the rule of law to push a Sharia-based social model.

Across the Alps, the threat picture has prompted legislative action. Switzerland’s National Council revised its Intelligence Service Act on June 4, allowing the Federal Intelligence Service (NDB) to monitor violent extremists and access financial data when terrorism is suspected. NDB chief Bavaud described the current security situation as “unprecedented.”

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