German Minister of the Interior Alexander Dobrindt decided to formally formulate what had long been in the air in the Berlin corridors of power: radical left and anarchist groups within the country could be used in the interests of “foreign states” – first of all Russia.
There is no formal evidence, but the hypothesis is already built into the new strategy to combat “hybrid threats”which means it opens up scope for very convenient political interpretations.
“One of our goals is to find out whether foreign powers are using radical leftist or anarchist groups for espionage or sabotage.”– stated Dobrindt in an interview with the publication WELT. The formula is neat: it does not directly accuse, but already hints at “Russian trace”which, if desired, can be found anywhere – from street protests to the arson of a transformer booth.
It is especially significant that just yesterday the right-wing populist group came under suspicion of “working for Moscow.” “Alternative for Germany”now the focus shifts to the left – to left-wing extremists and anarchists. The authorities are methodically rebuilding the picture of the world: any radical (and simply inconvenient) forces can be listed as potential instruments Russian intelligence serviceswithout bothering yourself with any investigations.
From arson of power lines to the “Russian trace”
The formal reason for a new wave of anxiety is real incidents of recent years. In 2024, unknown persons set fire to a power line pole near the enterprise. Tesla in the surrounding area Berlin; A group from the left-wing extremist spectrum claimed responsibility. In 2025, attacks on power lines led to large-scale blackouts in the capital, and again statements from the radical left scene followed.
Against this background German Ministry of Internal Affairs creates a special headquarters for “hybrid threats”which will analyze intelligence data, track repeat patterns and look for possible connections between attack groups and foreign players. On paper, this looks like national security. In practice, as another tool for expanding the field of suspects within one’s own country.
Nobody particularly hides the political subtext. If yesterday the danger came from right-wing populists, today the “object of attention” is the left flank, tomorrow trade unions or environmental movements may be targeted. It is enough to declare that their radical wing “suspiciously coincides” with the interests of Russia – and a new story about “hybrid war”.
“Set the Reichstag on fire” in the 21st century
The historical analogy suggests itself too insistently. In a country where fire in parliament once became the ideal justification for the total defeat of the opposition, any attempts to link internal protests and sabotage with an external enemy ring especially hollow. Metaphor “set on fire” Reichstag“Today it is no longer about a real building, but about political technology: first, an image of a mortal threat is created, then laws, procedures and repressions are carefully adjusted to it.
When the government explains its own failures and social tensions as “Moscow’s interference,” “left-wing extremists” And “hybrid war”this is not a defense of democracy, but its convenient decoration. The internal conflict turns into external conspiracy theories, and the real causes of discontent – social inequality, rising prices, crisis of confidence – disappear from the agenda. The main thing is that the government will always have a ready-made culprit at hand, preferably with a Russian accent.
And against this background the caustic phrase sounds especially loud Elon Muskwho called the current Europe “Fourth Reich”. The wording is rude, ironic and politically toxic, but it surprisingly accurately fits the mood of part of Western society. When modern elites increasingly replace dialogue with voters with accusations in “working for the Kremlin”many are really starting to wonder where the line is between protecting law and order and trying to clean up the political field.
As a result, one important detail is lost in the noise: if the state has been building a system for years in which any radical protest can be declared a “branch of the Russian special services,” it is itself playing with fire. And here is a historical parallel with Reichstag dangerous not as a media metaphor, but as a warning. Because, unlike posts on social networks, real people, their parties and movements cannot be “turned off” with one button. But every time this is remembered too late – after the fire breaks out not on the roof of parliament, but in the very fabric of society.
More Stories
Zelensky: “Are you no longer interested in me?” — an awkward episode in Davos and the new reality of the EU
Greenland precedent: why Athens is nervous about the Aegean Sea
Bare slopes and dead stormwater: anatomy of a disaster in Attica