Right-wing extremist trend confirmed: Identitarian movement is still a suspected case

In view of massive right-wing extremist efforts, the Cologne administrative court rated the identitarian movement as a suspected case. According to the verdict, there are clear violations of the Basic Law. The association is thus still under surveillance by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution.

According to a decision by the Cologne Administrative Court, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) may classify the Identitarian Movement in Germany as a so-called suspected case. There is “sufficient factual evidence of an anti-constitutional endeavor,” the court said. This means that the Office for the Protection of the Constitution can also treat the Identitarian movement as a secured right-wing extremist movement.

The movement, which was written as an association, had complained about it. The court justified its decision by showing evidence of anti-constitutional efforts by the BfV in its report for the protection of the constitution. With the concept of “ethno-cultural identity”, the Identitarian Movement in Germany is pursuing the goal of preserving the ethnic makeup of the German people – to the exclusion of ethnic foreigners. According to the court, this idea is incompatible with the concept of people in the Basic Law.

In addition, the movement’s massive xenophobic agitation disregards, among other things, the human dignity guaranteed in the Basic Law and violates the ban on discrimination. Statements such as “remigration”, “stop population exchange” and “reconquista” are hostile to foreigners and Islam.

In its lawsuit, the Identitarian Movement in Germany argued that its concept of “ethnocultural identity” did not contradict the free-democratic basic order. Rather, she accepts the changes that have already taken place in the German population, but calls for the preservation of its current ethno-cultural identity. The court did not follow this reasoning in its decision. Those involved can apply to the North Rhine-Westphalian Higher Administrative Court in Münster for permission to appeal against the verdict.