Wars in Gaza and Ukraine
Buschmann sees a terrorist threat at the European Football Championship
May 18, 2024, 1:55 a.m
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Justice Minister Buschmann doesn’t want to let the joy of football be taken away from him, but he takes IS threats of attacks seriously. The wars in Gaza and Ukraine are making the security situation even worse, says the FDP politician.
Justice Minister Marco Buschmann fears attacks on the European Football Championship in Germany. “There is always an increased risk of terrorism at large, international tournaments,” the FDP politician told the newspapers of the Funke media group. “The Russian war of aggression and the situation in Gaza are aggravating the security situation here too.” It was only in April that the Federal Prosecutor General had two German-Russian nationals arrested who were said to have planned attacks on German infrastructure. “We must continue to expect acts of sabotage.”
The conflict in the Middle East poses a slightly different danger, added Buschmann. “Since the Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7th, the mood in this country has also become more heated.” Since then, Jewish institutions have been exposed to attacks and threats – even more than before. “Hamas is also said to have planned attacks on Jewish institutions in Germany,” said the minister. “We therefore have to be particularly vigilant.”
Regarding threats from the terrorist militia IS, whose Afghan branch has specifically called for attacks on the stadiums in Dortmund, Munich and Berlin, Buschmann said: “This is the terrorists’ attempt to create a climate of fear and to put our legal system and our society under pressure Of course I take this seriously, but I trust the security authorities in our country. We won’t let our everyday life and our joy of life be taken away from us.”
No expansion of video surveillance
Buschmann was convinced that controls at the German borders improved security. “We have already increased internal border controls and are seeing a very positive effect, especially in combating smuggling crime,” he said. “We are also making it more difficult for those who want to bring weapons or explosives into the country. Border controls can be an effective instrument to make a major event like the European Football Championship safer.”
However, the Minister of Justice does not consider it necessary to expand video surveillance. “Nobody wants an Orwellian surveillance state in which you can no longer leave your home without being recorded. However, I am of the opinion that, under certain conditions, video surveillance can certainly be used in crime hotspots,” he said. “I don’t see any legal need for action regarding video surveillance – especially biometric surveillance – during the European Championships.”