Overview
- Family Minister Karin Prien plans to end funding early for more than 200 groups in Demokratie leben!, a federal anti-extremism program that spent €182 million in 2024.
- Ministry employees quoted by Der Spiegel describe the rollout as chaotic and say leaders show a weak grasp of the program.
- Staff point out that leaders pressed for more work against antisemitism even though at least 15 halted projects already focused on that area.
- An October letter from State Secretary Ingo Behnel set priorities that favor projects on antisemitism, Islamist extremism, and left-wing extremism over work on right-wing extremism.
- Updated grant notices now require groups to ensure they do not support extremist structures, which critics warn could hinder counseling for people exiting extremist scenes.