The threat posed by extremist forces and spies in Bavaria remains high, according to Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU), just as it does across Germany. “In the first six months of this year as well, numerous activities by domestic extremists and foreign actors have been detected that attack our democracy with a variety of methods and goals,” Herrmann said on Friday while presenting the intelligence briefing for the first half of 2026 in Munich.
As an example of the ongoing high threat from Islamist-motivated terrorism, Herrmann cited the recently carried-out attack on the CSD Berlin event, which left one person dead and several seriously injured. The rule of law must respond swiftly and effectively to such threats. “Because when public trust in the state’s security promises wanes, the acceptance of the rule of law risks eroding,” he said.
“The threat from radicalized lone actors remains high,” Herrmann added. “Their choice of victims is often random, but sometimes also reflects Islamist ideology and its enemies. Increasingly, especially young people who have not yet solidified their identities can easily be drawn in by Islamist extremists,” he emphasized.
The State Must Act “Confidently and Responsibly”
To defend democracy, attacks must be met “confidently and responsibly,” the CSU politician stressed. There are also hybrid threats at an unprecedented level. Authoritarian states are increasingly using illegal intelligence tools and directing them at businesses, research institutions, and what is called critical infrastructure.
Herrmann also defended the court-confirmed monitoring of the AfD party as a whole by the intelligence service. “Right-wing extremists are ever more openly trying to seize the levers of democracy. Their vile aim is to use the instruments of democracy to hollow them out from within and to polarize society into uncompromising blocs,” he said.
