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Interior Minister of the East German federal states
Photo: Sebastian Willnow / dpa
The interior ministers of the eastern German federal states have agreed to work more closely together in the fight against right-wing extremism.
A transnational approach is planned when right-wing extremists try to acquire real estate in the country, said Saxony's head of department Roland Wöller (CDU) in Leipzig.
The interior ministers of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and Brandenburg as well as the Berlin interior secretary met there for a security conference.
In the right-wing extremist spectrum, there are phenomena that don't stop at national borders, said Wöller.
If, for example, a federal state succeeds in pushing back right-wing rock events, the organizers moved to neighboring federal states.
It is similar when buying real estate.
It is necessary to get an overview here at an early stage.
The state offices for the protection of the constitution should also work more closely together.
The ministers therefore decided to set up a joint working group to deal with the problem.
The East German interior ministers reached less agreement on how to counter right-wing extremism in the police.
"To be clear: extremism, right-wing extremism, racism have no place in the authorities or in the police. That is why we will fight it with all consistency, with all legal means," said Wöller.
However, there is disagreement about whether a study is necessary to capture the extent of the problem at all or whether a "constitutional check" for junior staff, such as Brandenburg is planning, is a sensible means.
"It's no secret that we have different opinions here," said Thuringia's SPD Interior Minister Georg Maier.
He spoke to his colleagues about the advantages and disadvantages of a study on right-wing extremism.
"From my point of view, the advantages of doing that clearly outweigh the above," said Maier.
The discussion must be objectified on a scientific basis.
The question of a study should be discussed again at the upcoming conference of interior ministers in Weimar.
In the past few months, right-wing extremist incidents in security authorities had repeatedly caused a stir.
Most recently, a right-wing extremist chat group within the police was uncovered in North Rhine-Westphalia.
In Leipzig, a police officer is suspected of having made right-wing extremist and racist statements as a participant in a chat.
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asa / dpa / AFP
