In 2024, Brandenburg saw a significant increase in politically motivated crimes. In the context of a super election year with municipal, European and state elections, the increased number of cases not only represents a statistical challenge, but also an alarming signal for the political culture in the country. The following remarks shed light on the key figures, developments and implications of this worrying trend.

Overview and influence of the election year

Police statistics in Brandenburg document a total of 6,813 politically motivated crimes in 2024, an increase of almost 70 percent compared to the 4,018 cases in the previous year. This dramatic increase is largely due to the election year. 1,877 crimes alone are directly related to the upcoming elections and account for more than a quarter of the total. Without these so-called ‘election crimes’, the number of cases would be 4,936, which, however, still represents a significant increase of 22.8 per cent.

Minister of the Interior in Brandenburg Katrin Lange said in Potsdam:

‘The election year 2024 is clearly leaving its mark on the statistics. What is particularly striking, in addition to the general increase in politically motivated crime, is the fact that the police are recording increases in all areas – from left to right. This is a bad sign for the development of political culture in Brandenburg.’

This statement underlines the profound impact of the election year on police operations and social polarisation.

Detailed case numbers by phenomenon

The analysis of the data shows that all categories of politically motivated crime have experienced a significant increase:

• PMK – right-wing:
  • 3,626 cases in 2024 compared to 2,475 cases in 2023, which corresponds to an increase of 46.5 per cent.
  • Within this area, 62.2 per cent of the offences are propaganda offences (e.g. the distribution of propaganda material and the use of unconstitutional symbols).
• PMK – left:
  • 1,173 offences in 2020 compared to 548 cases in the previous year, an increase of 114.1 per cent.
  • A significant part of the increase is due to offences related to the election (491 cases) and protests, for example in the context of Tesla (241 cases).
• PMK – other:
  • 1,811 offences were recorded here, compared with 846 cases in the previous year – also an increase of 114.1 per cent.
  • The majority of this increase can be attributed to offences related to election activities (1,061 cases).
• PMK – foreign ideology:
  • 151 cases (2023: 108), an increase of 39.8 per cent.
• PMK – religious ideology:
  • 52 offences in 2024 compared to 41 in 2023 (+26.8%).

This nuanced breakdown shows that both far-right and far-left groups – supplemented by cases of other ideological orientations – have a significant impact on the overall picture.

Increase in politically motivated violent crimes

In addition to propaganda offences, the increase in politically motivated violent crimes is particularly striking. In 2024, 225 violent crimes were recorded, compared to 174 cases in 2023, an increase of 29.3 per cent. Within this category:

• Assault:
  • 143 cases in 2024, an increase of 23.3 per cent compared to 116 cases in the previous year.
  • A total of 301 people were injured, an increase of 44 per cent compared to 209 injuries in the previous year.
• Phenomenon-specific acts of violence:
  • PMK – right: 113 violent crimes (a slight decrease of 3.4 per cent compared to 117 cases in the previous year) with 157 injured persons.
  • PMK – left-wing: A drastic increase to 51 violent crimes compared to 11 cases – an increase of 363.6 per cent, with 50 people injured.
  • Further increases were recorded in the areas of PMK – other classification, foreign and religious ideology.

These figures not only show a quantitative increase, but also a qualitative change in the nature of the confrontations, in which violence is playing an increasingly problematic role.

Challenges of the clearance rate

Another worrying aspect of the statistics is the decline in the clearance rate, which fell from 51.3 per cent in 2023 to 43.1 per cent in 2024. Particularly striking are the election offences, where the clearance rate is only 12 percent. By contrast, the clearance rate for violent crimes was still 71 percent (compared to 78 percent in the previous year). This indicates structural challenges, which are caused on the one hand by the increased case volume and on the other hand by the complexity of politically motivated offences.

Social and police implications

Police President Oliver Stepien emphasised: ‘The past year in Brandenburg was particularly marked by issues that also influenced the development of politically motivated crime. A clear focus of our work is right-wing extremism. More than half of all politically motivated crimes continue to come from the right-wing spectrum.’

This assessment points to the need for increased engagement not only on the part of the police, but also at the societal level. The increase in offences from all ideological camps and the associated radicalisation point to an increasing brutalisation of political debate. This presents not only the authorities, but also civil society with the challenge of developing strategies for de-escalation and prevention.

The police are called upon to contain the increase in politically motivated crime with increased pressure of prosecution, presence and targeted prevention. At the same time, it is emphasised that this problem is a task for society as a whole, in which all actors – from political institutions to social groups and the general public – must take responsibility.

Conclusion

The statistics for 2024 in Brandenburg paint a clear picture: the election year has acted as a catalyst for politically motivated crime in several respects. The impressive increase in all relevant categories, particularly in the area of violence-related offences, makes it clear that the political culture and social discourse in the country are facing profound challenges.

The data challenges both the police and society as a whole to deal intensively with the increase in radicalisation and the brutalisation of political debate. Increased efforts are needed in prevention, education and the promotion of a respectful political discourse in order to prevent a dangerous escalation of the political conflict in the long term.