Germany to step up fight against left-wing extremism after terror attack on Berlin’s power grid

BERLIN

Germany announced Tuesday that it plans to step up the fight against left-wing extremism after a Jan. 3 terror attack on Berlin’s power grid.

“We are gearing up for the fight against left-wing extremism. You all remember that a few weeks ago, the terrorist attack on the power supply in Berlin cut off 45,000 households, significantly more than 100,000 people, thousands of businesses, and health care facilities were cut off from electricity and heating for several days,” Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said at a media briefing in Berlin.

“We are drawing conclusions from this and stepping up the fight against left-wing extremism and left-wing terrorism. Our security agencies will be significantly better equipped to combat left-wing extremism,” he added.

Dobrindt announced plans for new legislation aimed at “better protecting critical infrastructure.”

Meanwhile, he offered a €1 million ($1.1 million) reward for tips leading to the arrest of those responsible for the attack on the high-voltage cables.

The far-left extremist group Vulkangruppe later claimed responsibility for the sabotage.

Authorities said Vulkangruppe has been linked to multiple arson attacks in the eastern states of Berlin and Brandenburg since 2011 and has been associated with attacks on the electrical infrastructure of a Tesla factory in 2021 and 2024.

Berlin’s state secret service, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, classifies the group as anarchist.