German military dismisses 62 soldiers over far-right links

BERLIN

Germany's armed forces dismissed 62 soldiers last year for right-wing extremist activities and statements, officials disclosed in a report on Wednesday.

The dismissals included 41 enlisted personnel, 11 non-commissioned officers and 10 officers, according to a Defense Ministry report submitted to parliament in response to an inquiry from the opposition Left Party.

The military also rejected 94 applicants during recruitment due to concerns about their commitment to Germany's democratic constitution.

The ministry’s report documented 205 incidents involving right-wing extremist, racist or antisemitic behavior in 2023. Some cases involved soldiers making extremist statements to comrades or expressing support for the Reichsburger (Reich Citizens), a right-wing movement that rejects the legitimacy of the Federal Republic of Germany.

The revelations come amid broader worries about far-right extremism in German security forces. In recent years, authorities have disbanded an elite police unit and prosecuted numerous active and retired military personnel for plotting attacks while stockpiling weapons and maintaining ties to extremist networks.

Two years ago, dozens of far-right extremists, including German aristocrat Heinrich Reuss, were arrested for alleged plans to overthrow the government by a coup. The suspects, including former police officers, soldiers and reserve personnel, were accused of planning sensational actions such as storming the German parliament and kidnapping politicians in order to cause civil war-like conditions in the country, and eventually overthrow the government. The majority of the suspects were followers of the Reich Citizens movement.