Germany begins process to purge right-wing extremists from military

By Anne-Beatrice Clasmann, dpa I Tuesday, December 13, 2022

 

BERLIN – Germany’s Defence Ministry wants to make it easier to remove extremists from the Bundeswehr military, amid an investigation into a far-right coup plot involving an active soldier.

The ministry said on Tuesday that is seeking an amendment to the law that would make it possible to dismiss a soldier without having to go through a time-consuming judicial disciplinary procedure. Last week, a terrorist group linked to the so-called Reich Citizens’ (Reichsbürger) Movement was targeted in nationwide raids.

The group is accused of seeking to build up its own armed forces to overthrow the state. A former lawmaker, a soldier and an aristocrat were among dozens detained on suspicion of being part of the group.

Reich Citizens do not recognize the legitimacy of the German state and often refuse to pay taxes or fines and in some cases amass illegal weapons.

“The latest searches and arrests in the Reichsbürger scene show how important it is to be vigilant and to consistently take action against extremists and enemies of the constitution with all the means of the rule of law,” Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht said.

The draft law prepared by her ministry provides for dismissal on the basis of a lack of loyalty to the constitution.

“This means that soldiers can be dismissed if it turns out that they reject the Basic Law and our free democratic order,” Lambrecht said. She said it would make it possible to significantly speed up the lengthy procedure for removing extremists, “while of course upholding all the principles of a procedure based on the rule of law.”

Roughly half of the German population sees the right-wing extremist Reich Citizens’ Movement as a serious threat to democracy, according to a survey released on Tuesday.

Some 53% of respondents to a representative survey conducted by the research institute YouGov on behalf of dpa said the movement poses a threat to democracy, while 31% of respondents said it did not. Some 15% were undecided.

According to the data released on Tuesday, only a minority in Germany believes that the Reich Citizens pose a threat to them personally: Some 63% said they did not feel personally threatened.