Iris Spranger (SPD, left), Berlin’s Senator for the Interior, and Michael Fischer, Director of the Berlin Office for the Protection of the Constitution, hold up the Berlin Office for the Protection of the Constitution’s 2025 report during a press conference following a meeting of the Berlin Senate.
© dpa
According to the Berlin Office for the Protection of the Constitution, left-wing extremists, right-wing extremists, and the Islamist scene continue to attract new members.
The number of individuals with anti-constitutional tendencies has risen across all areas of extremism, according to the Berlin Office for the Protection of the Constitution in its latest annual report for 2025.
Right-wing extremists and Islamists, in particular, but also left-wing extremists, are increasingly targeting teenagers and young adults with their propaganda. This is primarily done through well-known social media platforms such as Instagram, Telegram, TikTok, YouTube and Facebook. "The propaganda has adapted to the daily lives of young people, and in particular to their media consumption," states a special chapter of the report on the subject.
The goal is to radicalize them and expose them to anti-constitutional and inhumane views at an increasingly younger age, noted Interior Senator Iris Spranger (SPD). She called the development "alarming." The Office for the Protection of the Constitution sees the emergence of a "new youth culture" among right-wing extremists. For the first time, it is listed in the annual report under the heading "Violence-oriented right-wing extremist online cultures." Due to the activities of this scene, it is becoming noticeably more aggressive.
The internet has long played a key role in the far-right scene. There are texts, flyers, and - increasingly - photos, videos, music tracks, and "merchandise" designed to appeal to young people. Racist, Nazi-glorifying, and anti-LGBTQ+ content is being disseminated across all formats, including blogs, podcasts, memes, Reels, Stories and Snaps. Meanwhile, a distinct far-right language has developed in the digital world that young people use to communicate. Overall, the number of potential far-right individuals in Berlin has risen to 1,480 (2024: 1,450).
In the area of left-wing extremism, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution has observed a growing propensity for violence when it comes to environmental policy. Small, independently operating groups are said to be advocating violence and actually carrying it out. Their targets include government institutions, businesses and critical infrastructure facilities. In 2025, there were several arson attacks of this kind carried out by various groups. The attack on September 9, 2025, against the Adlershof technology hub in eastern Berlin had the greatest impact, causing a power outage that lasted for days and affected tens of thousands of people.
"The ideology of 'eco-anarchism' underlying these crimes has significantly contributed to the radicalization of the violence-oriented segment of the far-left extremist scene in Berlin," the report concludes. Young people are drawn in by issues such as the Middle East conflict, war and military service, as well as an excessive dependence on certain technologies. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution estimates a potential pool of 3,950 individuals involved in left-wing extremism (2024: 3,800). The number of members in violence-oriented autonomous and post-autonomous groups has also risen.
The number of Islamists in Berlin has also grown. There are approximately 2,590 individuals (2024: 2,440) in the Islamist scene in Berlin. International terrorist organizations and Salafist preachers have reportedly intensified and professionalized their activities, particularly online. Salafist content is spreading more quickly and directly. "This propaganda is reaching more and more young people via social media and has become a key driver of radicalization."
Finally, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution also lists the extremist anti-Israel movement as an actor. It continues to spread anti-Israel propaganda and has once again been responsible for a large number of events at which Israel’s right to exist was denied and the terrorism of the Islamist group Hamas was celebrated. According to Michael Fischer, head of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the movement is by no means merely seeking to show solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza. "Rather, their aim is to demonize and delegitimize Israel and thereby attack Israel’s right to exist." Here, too, young people are specifically targeted. The actors aim to "flood social media with their narratives at a high frequency in order to paint a distorted picture of the Middle East conflict in general and the State of Israel in particular, especially among young people."
The report states that there is currently - and will continue to be - a high risk of espionage and sabotage activities by other intelligence services. The main actors are Russia, China, Iran and Turkey. In addition to traditional espionage activities, these include cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns and acts of sabotage.