European Observatory to Combat Radicalization
Right-wing violence in Europe is not new, however, in the last decade a revival of militant right-wing extremist groups, networks, and incidents have occurred. Since 2012 xenophobic and racist incidents have increased in almost all European countries, Europe is experiencing a new wave of violent far-right radicalisation. This increase of incidents come along with a surge of anti-immigration and Islamophobic violence, as well as: anti-government attacks, assaults on political opponents, ethnic minorities, and homosexuals.
The Current Reality of Right-wing Extremism in Europe
In March 24, 2020, an academic study made by CSIS under the title :” The Right-Wing Terrorism Threat in Europe”, finds that amid growing concern about a rise in right-wing terrorism in Europe and worldwide, there is an ongoing debate about the severity of this threat. Analysis of a CSIS data set of over 2,200 terrorist incidents in Europe between 2009 and 2020 found that 69.3 percent of fatalities were from jihadists, compared to only 21.8 percent from right-wing individuals or networks, 6.9 percent from ethno-nationalists, and 2.0 percent from left-wing actors. This suggests that despite a notable increase in the number of right-wing terrorist incidents during the past five years, jihadist terrorism continues to be the most lethal threat to Europe.
The study adds that despite this data, the threat from right-wing extremists in Europe is still serious. Most individuals are motivated by the spread of Islam in Europe, concerns about immigration, and a desire for a “white only” society. An increasing number of European extremists have developed relations with far-right networks in the United States, Ukraine, and other countries—making it a global challenge. The internet and social media platforms will likely continue to play a major role in allowing these individuals and networks to spread information and coordinate action. Terrorism—whether from right-wing individuals, jihadists, or others—will remain a persistent challenge, necessitating continued counterterrorism cooperation among Western governments.
UN Warns Right-Far Extremism in Europe
VoA website published a UN report in April,01, 2020, finding that in the EU, the number of arrests in connection to right-wing terrorism more than doubled, from 20 in 2017 to 44 in 2018, with counterterrorism officials cautioning the problem was likely to get worse.
“While the vast majority of right-wing extremist groups across the EU have not resorted to violence, they nevertheless help entrench a climate of fear and animosity against minority groups,” the EU concluded in its 2019 Terrorism Situation and Trend report. “Such a climate, built on xenophobia, anti-Semitic, Islamophobic and anti-immigration sentiments, may lower the threshold for some radicalized individuals to use violence.”
The U.N. report finds those types of connections and relationships have only gotten stronger, with groups making efficient use of the Internet and social media to exchange ideas and raise money. Additionally, the UN report warns the spread of far-right rhetoric is allowing extremist groups to connect with other fringe elements of society and expand their ability to recruit. “These synergies allow more obscure misogynist groups-such as incels (involuntary celibates) – to act as a bridge to violent extreme-rightwing groups and individuals,”
Germany is the EU Biggest Affected State
In February 27,2020, The Economist reported that Right-wing extremism in various guises has troubled parts of Germany for decades. The Amadeu Antonio Foundation, an outfit that monitors such activity, says it is responsible for 208 deaths since 1990. But a recent string of incidents has left nerves especially jangled. On Yom Kippur, three months before the attack on Mr Diaby’s office, Stephan Balliet, a young man armed with home-made 3d-printed weapons, tried to break into a synagogue in Halle to massacre worshippers; when that failed he killed two people at random instead. On February 19th in Hanau, near Frankfurt, 43-year-old Tobias Rathjen killed nine immigrants and ethnic-minority Germans during a shooting rampage, before killing himself and his mother. A few days earlier 12 men were arrested for planning attacks on mosques in the hope of igniting “civil war”.
Refernces
Right-wing Terrorism in Europe: The current trends and elements.
The Right-wing Terrorism Threat in Europe
UN Warns Right-Wing Extremist Groups Getting Bolder, More Lethal
