Politically motivated crimes in Austria have surged dramatically, with left-wing extremist offenses rising by 120 percent in the past year, according to the 2024 Constitutional Protection Report (Verfassungsschutzbericht) published by the Ministry of the Interior.
The sharp increase in leftist violence eclipses already significant rises in Islamist and right-wing extremist activity, which rose by 40 percent and 44 percent, respectively.
Left-wing extremist crime in Austria rose from 61 cases in 2023 to 134 in 2024. In Vienna alone, cases rose from 20 to 98 in a year. These incidents include vandalism, arson, and clashes with police, often linked to anarchist and anti-authority groups operating in cities.
“Left-wing extremist groups are increasingly using language that accepts violence and agitate against security forces,” the report states. It also notes that many of these groups are trying to recruit younger people through online platforms, using social media to organize and spread their messages.
Islamist extremist crimes rose by 40 percent, with authorities maintaining an elevated terror threat level since the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023. Officials are particularly concerned about the radicalization of young people online and the continued spread of Islamist propaganda. The report warns that “young people in particular are endangered by radical Islamist content online.”
“In 2024, Islamists in Austria were still pursuing the long-term goal of establishing a social and state order based on Islamic law,” it adds. “In their ideal state, basic principles such as freedom of expression, the separation of state and religion, the separation of powers, and gender equality would not be guaranteed.
“The spectrum of Islamism in Austria ranges from strictly hierarchical and centrally organized
structures to non-hierarchical scenes and loose networks.”
When it comes to right-wing extremism, the report classifies those opposing mass immigration and highlighting the refugee crisis as extremist ideology.
“Attempts are being made to exploit social challenges, such as the asylum and refugee issues, to win over people from different milieus to their ideologies.
It talks of two right-wing movements — an old and a new. Describing the old movement, it discusses involvement with neo-Nazi groups and hooliganism with recruitment to such associations taking place both online and offline.
The “new” movement, it alleges, “specifically relies on active media work in order to enforce its ideology and to pursue political goals.
The ambiguous definition typically results in a higher number of cases of right-wing extremist incidents, at 1,486 nationwide. Interestingly, however, the report classifies anti-Semitic incidents as right-wing, despite the rise in pro-Palestinian demonstrations and attacks on Jews initiated by left-wing activists following the Hamas terror attack on Israel, which could lead to a significant distortion of the figures.
“The increasing threat from cybercrime and the spread of disinformation poses a serious challenge to our national security,” wrote Interior Minister Gerhard Karner and Interior Ministry security director Franz Ruf in a joint foreword.
“Security is not a static condition but a dynamic process requiring constant vigilance, adaptability, and innovation,” added Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, head of the Austrian Directorate of State Security and Intelligence (DSN).
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