German authorities have arrested Peter Fitzek, a self-proclaimed “king” of Germany, and three senior members of his extremist group, the Reichsbürger, as part of a national crackdown. The group, which seeks to establish a separatist “Kingdom of Germany,” has now been officially banned.
Reichsbürger Group Banned for Attempting to Overthrow the State
In early morning raids across seven German states, over 800 security personnel apprehended the group’s leaders. Fitzek, a 59-year-old former chef and karate instructor, has long championed the idea of an alternative state within Germany, claiming authority under the title “King Peter the First.”
The group, the Reichsbürger, has been labeled as a serious threat to Germany’s democracy due to its attempts to subvert the rule of law and promote antisemitic conspiracy theories. The German interior ministry accused the Reichsbürger of financing itself through illegal economic activities and seeking to create an independent state, complete with its own currency, ID cards, flag, and legal system.
Fitzek’s Radical Beliefs and Public Challenges
Fitzek, who crowned himself in 2012, has presented himself as a monarch of a newly formed “Kingdom of Germany,” dismissing the legitimacy of the modern German state. He claims to have thousands of “subjects” under his authority, rejecting the German government as a “sick” and “destructive” system.
In interviews with the BBC, Fitzek dismissed violent intentions, but his actions have repeatedly put him at odds with the law, including driving without a license in symbolic defiance of state authority. Despite his claims of peaceful intentions, the Reichsbürger group has been linked to violent actions and illegal arms possession, raising alarm among German authorities.
The Reichsbürger Movement: A Growing Threat
The Reichsbürger group is made up of roughly 25,000 individuals in Germany, many of whom adhere to right-wing extremist ideologies. They deny the legitimacy of Germany’s government, often peddling conspiracy theories that include antisemitic and racist narratives. For an in-depth analysis of the Reichsbürger ideology and its impact on European politics, visit Reuters coverage on Reichsbürger.
The government’s crackdown on Fitzek and his followers comes after several incidents involving violent confrontations between Reichsbürger members and security forces. A significant number of members are considered violent extremists, with 1,350 classified as right-wing radicals. The group has been involved in attempted coups, including a plot to overthrow the German government in 2022, where some members planned to kidnap senior government officials.
Impact of the Arrests and Growing Extremism
The arrests signal the German government’s increasing urgency in tackling far-right extremism, which has been on the rise in recent years. The Reichsbürger group’s ambitions to create a “Kingdom of Germany” are not just a fringe movement; they represent a growing segment of anti-government sentiment that threatens the stability of the state.
For more on the rise of far-right extremism and its effects on global politics, visit the CNBC analysis on global far-right movements.
As the “so-called supreme sovereign”, Fitzek had “control and decision-making power in all key areas”, the office said.
“The ‘Kingdom of Germany’ considers itself a sovereign state within the meaning of international law and strives to extend its claimed ‘national territory’ to the borders of the German Empire of 1871,” it added in a statement.
Conclusion: A Serious Threat to Democracy
What was once seen as the eccentric movement of a few individuals has now become a substantial threat to Germany’s democratic institutions. The government’s actions in dismantling the Reichsbürger group highlight the dangerous potential of far-right extremism and its efforts to destabilize democratic governments. As authorities continue their investigations, it is clear that the Reichsbürger group poses a real challenge to law and order in Germany.