Neo-Nazis in Saarland: Symbolism at the playground alerts the authorities!

Neo-Nazis in Saarland: Symbolism at the playground alerts the authorities!

A conspicuous sticker is causing unrest in Saarbrücken. On the edge of a playground there is a picture showing a lion with a human body and sinister figures in hoodies. The provocative text on the sticker reads: “Where we are, Germans fight like lions.” As the Saarbrücken newspaper reported, this sticker comes from the neo-Nazi micro-party III. Weg, which has recently become increasingly present in Saarland.

The III. Weg, also known as THE THIRD WAY, is a right-wing extremist party founded on September 28, 2013. It was founded by former members of the NPD and activists from the now banned Freie Netz Süd. This party has in the past maintained ties with the government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria and currently maintains contacts with Hezbollah in Lebanon as well as various nationalist groups in Ukraine, such as the Wikipedia informed.

Growing presence and problems

The increased visibility of the III. Path in Saarland is cause for concern. The ministry has warned of growing influence from right-wing extremist groups. For example, the party took part in its first election in 2014 and received 0.5% of the vote in Bad Dürkheim. In the 2016 elections in Rhineland-Palatinate it came to 0.1%. As early as 2015, the number of members was estimated at around 300, with most members active in Rhineland-Palatinate.

The political agenda of the III. Wegs describes himself as a national revolutionary and partly refers to the ideology of the Strasser brothers. Its funding comes mainly from donations and membership fees, while its party program, available in 12 European languages, includes ten key points. One of the most recent and controversial actions was participation in the 2021 federal elections, in which the party received 0.02% of the vote.

Provocations and actions

In the past, the party also caused a stir with the demand for “social justice instead of criminal foreigners” on a banner during a demonstration on May 1, 2019 in Saxony. In the same year, the Bavarian section received members of the banned Freie Netz Süd and took part in an annual neo-Nazi march in Finland.

The controversies surrounding the III. This extended to posters during the 2021 federal election that called for the execution of the Greens. These were ordered to be removed by the court. Despite the ongoing opposition, their polls show that they are exerting a steady, if marginal, influence.

The current situation and the hopeful presence of this extreme ideology in Saarland remains a serious issue for politics and society, especially in view of recent incidents and the ministry's warnings.