by Thorsten Koch

The recently elected Military Commissioner of the Bundestag, Eva Högl, wants to campaign more strongly against right-wing extremism in the Bundeswehr. In the ranks of the Bundeswehr, there is more than only a “collection of individual extremist, right-wing cases”. Högl emphasized even before she was sworn in that there was no general suspicion against the soldiers. In her eyes, there is the possibility of making structural adjustments to the troops in order to strengthen soldiers who oppose right-wing extremism.

In the process, one could do even more: “Above all, I believe that the case is now shaking up some who have previously said that this should not be overemphasized.” One has to “really thoroughly, very fundamentally and generally discuss the topic of right-wing extremism in the Bundeswehr,” she said. “One thing is very important for me to emphasize: This does not include a general suspicion, neither against the KSK nor against the Bundeswehr as a whole”, she concluded.

The Federal Ministry of Defense recently set up a working group. Before the summer break, it is to investigate right-wing extremist incidents in the Bundeswehr’s Special Forces Command (KSK).