German city of Dresden declares ‘Nazi emergency’ to tackle rise of far-right extremism

‘We have a Nazi problem and have to do something about it,’ says councillor

A “Nazi Emergency” has been declared in the German city of Dresden in an attempt to tackle the growth of far-right extremism.

City councillors passed a resolution calling for the strengthening of democracy and the protection of minorities.

“Anti-democratic, anti-pluralist, misanthropic and right-wing-extremist attitudes and actions, including violence, are occurring with increasing frequency,” it warned.

The resolution refers to the bombing of a mosque in Dresden by a right-wing extremist in 2016 and the assassination of the German politician Walter Lübcke, who was shot in the head at close range in June by a man who reportedly had links to right-wing extremist circles.

The recent attack on a synagogue in Halle is also referenced.

Dresden, the capital of the state of Saxony, is the birthplace of Pegida, the nationalist, anti-Islam, anti-immigration movement which held weekly marches in the city.

The fair-right political party Alternative for Germany (AfD) also received more than 17 per cent of the vote in council elections this year and came second in the state election in September.

“We have a Nazi problem in Dresden and have to do something about it,” said Max Aschenbach, the councillor who proposed the resolution.

“Politics must finally begin to ostracise that and say: No, that’s unacceptable,” he told local TV station MDR.

The resolution, titled “Nazinotstand?”, was passed by 39 votes to 29 with support from members of Die Linke (The Left), the Green Party, the centre-left Social Democrats, the Free Domocrats and a satirical party known simple as The Party.

It was opposed by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s centre-right party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), and the AfD.

Among its proposals are the development of cultural and political education and increased support for poor families and the victims of right-wing violence.

It also calls for ”the protection of minorities and human rights” and for action “against the causes and consequences of antisemitism, racism and extremism”.