2024-03-26 08:41:15
The threat from Islamists is great, including in Germany. But criminals, hooligans and other violent criminals also worry the authorities. There should be controls at the borders for the European Championships.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) has announced temporary controls at all German borders for the European Football Championship in the summer. “We will carry out temporary border controls at all German borders during the tournament in order to be able to prevent possible violent criminals from entering the country,” said Faeser to the “Rheinische Post”. This is necessary in order to protect the EM in the best possible way. The focus is on protection against Islamists and other extremists, against hooligans and other violent criminals, as well as the security of the networks against cyber attacks. “We are keeping a particular eye on these current threats.”
The European Football Championship starts on June 14th. Germany had often carried out temporary border controls when major international events took place in the country, including the 2006 Football World Cup. It was only in mid-February that the Federal Ministry of the Interior extended the controls at the land borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland until mid-June. The main focus is on the fight against smugglers and irregular migration. In addition to the controls introduced in October at the borders with the three neighboring countries, they have also been in place at the border with Austria since autumn 2015, where they are still limited until around mid-May.
Police union: security authorities well equipped
The police union (GdP) considers the security authorities to be well equipped to protect the EM. GDP deputy federal chairman Alexander Poitz told the “Rheinische Post” that there is a sophisticated security concept that ranges from targeted entry controls to drone defense. Nevertheless, it should not be overlooked that the police not only have to protect the stadiums, but also the numerous public viewing areas and other places where many people were during the European Championship. There can be no absolute security. “But we shouldn’t encourage a terrorist attack either. That would only benefit the terrorists.”
The German security authorities have not changed their assessment of the Islamist threat to Germany after the devastating terrorist attack on a concert hall near Moscow. This was explained by a spokesman for the Federal Ministry of the Interior in Berlin. “This was already high before, as shown by the measures taken by the security authorities against terrorist suspects from the ISPK.” Faeser assumes that the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISPK) group, known as an offshoot of the “Islamic State” (IS), was responsible for the attack.
Union calls for more powers for the police
In view of the threat situation, the Union is calling for more powers for the police and intelligence services in Germany. The German security authorities need similar investigative instruments as foreign secret services in the defense of terrorist attacks, said the Parliamentary Managing Director of the Union faction, Thorsten Frei, to the “Augsburger Allgemeine”. These included online searches or the evaluation of video surveillance using facial recognition and artificial intelligence. This is not only important for countering terrorism, but also for the classic fight against crime.
The CDU domestic politician Alexander Throm warned: “We have to be prepared for the fact that Islamists have long since identified full football stadiums and public viewing areas as potential attack targets.” The highest level of vigilance must apply here, Throm told the “Stuttgarter Zeitung” and the “Stuttgarter Nachrichten”. “Islamist terrorists are still there, they are well connected and just as fanatical as before.” The horrific attack near Moscow shows this danger.