Even ten years after the series of murders by the right-wing extremist terrorist cell NSU, many questions remain unanswered. Constitutional protection chief Haldenwang admits numerous errors of the security authorities, but claims learning success for his employees. More and more right-wing extremist incidents contradict this claim.
On November 4, 2011, the police found two bodies in a burning mobile home in Eisenach. The dead are not just the wanted bank robbers, but two right-wing extremist serial killers. For at least eleven years, Uwe Böhnhardt and Uwe Mundlos were able to murder undetected all over Germany, supported by Beate Zschäpe. They shoot eight Turkish and one Greek-born small business owners and a policewoman. Hundreds of officials have been investigating in the wrong direction for years – organized crime – and in some cases have the victims’ relatives in their sights. It was only when Zschäpe sent a video confessing the “National Socialist Underground (NSU)” after the death of her fellow campaigners that the authorities realized that they had been dealing with a series of right-wing terrorist murders over the years.
An autumn day in Berlin, almost ten years later. During a discussion on NSU terror, the President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), Thomas Haldenwang, makes cautious assumptions that the bloodbath of an archer in Kongsberg, Norway, could be a right-wing extremist perpetrator – while the first media reports that the perpetrator could be Be an Islamist. An indication that something has happened in Germany since the biggest series of right-wing extremist murders to date became known: Right-wing extremism is no longer the last motive that security authorities think of.
In the discussion organized by the Integration Media Service, Haldenwang even went so far as to say that the NSU series of murders could not be repeated today. Even right-wing extremism researcher Matthias Quendt is optimistic here. The professor wrote his doctoral thesis on the radicalization of the NSU and not only attests that the security authorities lacked communication during the series of murders, but also that society as a whole was “completely blind” to right-wing extremist terror.
“Victim relatives no longer trust the rule of law”
Haldenwang admits that the security authorities made many mistakes during the NSU murders. But structures have changed since then; For example, a joint defense against extremism and terrorism – a communication platform – is intended to ensure better exchange between intelligence services and the police at federal and state level. The BfV department, which deals with right-wing extremism, has been increased, including by scientists, and its fight against has been prioritized. Haldenwang does not just want to pursue individual cases, but also wants to understand how the right-wing network is networked. The BfV boss has only been in office for three years; after the NSU scandal, he is already the second new head of the agency. Before him, Hans-Georg Maassen was supposed to regain lost trust in the protection of the constitution.
Instead of regaining trust, however, members of the NSU victims have finally lost their faith in the German rule of law. The daughter and widow of the alleged first death victim Enver Simsek now live in Turkey. This is reported by Seda Basay-Yildiz, who represented victim families as a subsidiary prosecutor in the NSU trial. The lawyer accuses the German security authorities of a lack of clarification. For example, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution does not release numerous files to journalists.
Haldenwang points out that the rule of law also applies to informants. If the media reported on them, their lives would be in danger. But there are still numerous question marks behind the role of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution in the NSU murders. For example, an employee was at the crime scene during one of the murders in Kassel. One official destroyed files on a large scale, not all of them could be reconstructed. And in court, informants sometimes invoked their right to refuse to testify.
Lawyer: The authorities pay lip service
Haldenwang emphasizes that the work of the intelligence services is controlled by numerous bodies that have access to files, such as courts or committees of inquiry. At the BfV there is no further information that would put the NSU complex in a new light. “They don’t exist.”
He also admits that numerous questions about the NSU have not been clarified. How did the right-wing terrorists choose their victims and crime scenes? How did they finance themselves? Haldenwang doubts that the booty from her bank robberies was enough. Was there a support network? What role did the mentioned undercover agent play in Hessen? Why was the police officer Michele Kiesewetter murdered? According to his own words, the top constitutional protection officer would be “the happiest person in the world” if he could answer the questions.
In the eyes of lawyer Basay-Yildiz, these assurances are above all lip service. The inspection of files is a matter of discretion. “They could make decisions differently, and they don’t.” Her clients are “absolutely resigned and expect nothing more”.
Only six federal states examine police candidates
The fact that right-wing extremist chat groups repeatedly came to light within the police – also by chance – also triggered great uncertainty among their clients. Basay-Yildiz believes that officials who share right-wing extremist ideas will not be permanently removed from service. Haldenwang vehemently contradicts that there is a lack of will. Here, too, the police officers affected could use the means of the rule of law to defend themselves. It is regrettable if a court, for example, decides that a shared image of Hitler is not enough for the end of the career through the termination. “But this is how the rule of law works.”
The federal states still try to achieve quite differently that right-wing extremists do not even find their way to the authorities and, if they do, are discovered. According to research by the Integration Media Service, the police in only six countries regularly ask the Office for the Protection of the Constitution when new employees are hired whether the applicants have ever attracted attention due to right-wing extremist ideas. Only two countries stated that they had compulsory training and further education modules on racism and right-wing extremism. In addition, 14 countries have set up complaint offices or police officers, but only half are independent. Haldenwang believes that the best examples will now set a precedent. “I think it is right that police officers should be checked.”
Right-wing extremist incidents in authorities seem to be increasing
Recently, however, more and more right-wing extremist and racist incidents have become known in the security authorities, as research by the Integration Media Service confirms: from the right-wing extremist past of a trainer at the Federal Police Academy, who co-founded the think tank “Institute for State Policy” of the “New Right”, to right-wing extremist activities in the guard battalion of the Bundeswehr.
The same applies here as regards the statistical increase in all right-wing extremist cases. Today more are recorded, but the “New Right” existed 20 years ago – the authorities just ignored it, as researcher Quent clarifies. Studies on attitudes of the population even showed that at least the unified right-wing extremist view of the world is steadily declining. That makes it clear where people have not looked in the past, says Quent.
The skinhead neo-Nazi scene from which the NSU emerged is much less established today, reports the professor. In the meantime, however, there are new movements that are much more difficult to assess. Digitalization also enables right-wing milieus to come into contact with one another that have not previously been able to do so.
“New right” hijacked corona protests
Quent sees the fight against right-wing extremism as a task for society as a whole. Not only the authorities would have to react, but also politicians, for example, to deal with the causes. Affected groups would have to be supported, projects consolidated. “Everyone has failed, including the media.”
The researcher warns that the new right-wing extremist movements could take up virtually any topic, such as the demonstrations against corona measures or climate change. “Anti-democratic groups will also use this in the future.” According to Haldenwang, the new groups are moving more and more into the middle of society. “That must really be worrying.”