Annelies Pauwels: “The growing interest of the far right in guns is worrying”
Annelies Pauwels, researcher for the Vlaams Vredesinstituut, observed, as State Security recounts in its latest report, an increasing polarization of society since the start of the pandemic and an intensification of the activity of disparate groups of people. extreme right in Belgium.
The Jürgen Conings case, this heavily armed corporal who wanted to attack the institutions and the virologist Marc Van Ranst, revealed in broad daylight the circulation within the Belgian army of far-right ideology as well as the presence of small groups that may constitute a danger. Recently, searches were hot in three barracks in the country and in the homes of several soldiers suspected of having broadcast messages inciting terrorism-related offenses.
In its annual report for the year 2020, the State security falls an increasing polarization of society since the start of the pandemic and a intensification of the activity of disparate far-right groups in Belgium. An evolution that has also been observed Annelies pauwels, researcher for the Vlaams Vredesinstituut (body attached to the Flemish Parliament and active in the promotion of peace and the prevention of violence) and specialized in radicalization phenomena.
Has the Jürgen Conings affair revealed what we already suspected?
Efficiency, this is not the first time that this type of business has broken out in Flanders. In 2006, we had the case of an extreme right-wing military group that had planned a double attack. The project consisted of kill both Vlaams Block leader Filip Dewinter and European Arab League activist and founder Abu Jaja with the aim of blaming these murders on Islamist terrorists and accelerating radicalization. To do this, the group, which had military and tactical knowledge, had built up an arsenal of weapons. Belgium is not the only one concerned. In Germany, for example, a group of army commandos that was plagued by far-right ideology was recently disbanded.
Is this issue particular or the most emblematic of what the far right is today?
Certain elements are indeed representative of the profile that can be found today. Conings was linked to small groups even though he acted alone. He had connections and was active in groups and on social media.
“What is also interesting is the combination of right-wing ideology and interest in conspiracy.”
What we see today is that some far-right supporters are older than before. Unlike the radicalized people who can be found in Islamic terrorism, they are not very young. What is also interesting is the combination of right-wing ideology and interest in conspiracy. Obviously with the Covid-19, this link has been greatly strengthened. We also note that the instrumentalisation of the pandemic has become a means widely used by the far right to try to convince the population.
Are these groups more numerous than before or are we able to identify them better?
In the case of Germany, there is a permanent control of the intelligence services to decelerate cases of the extreme right. In Belgium too, the military secret services draw up a list of people in the army of whom they suspect far-right ideologies. About thirty names are currently on it.
Apart from the army, are these extremist nuclei concentrated in certain regions?
A few years ago, we could point out some municipalities that had problems ofIslamist extremism. We think of Molenbeek, Schaerbeek u Vilvoorde. Here, this is not really the case. I do not have no real concentration, also because radicalization concerns older people and not groups of young people, and the phenomenon is more diffuse. We tried to find out from the intelligence and security services if there were any pockets, but at this point it is not clear. We know that certain groups are active in certain places, but you can’t really target specific areas. It would seem in any case that it is as much in the cities as in the countryside.
More in Flanders than in Wallonia?
The movement also lives in Wallonia, but it is more underground. In Flanders, it’s less hidden.
“The movement also lives in Wallonia, but it is more underground. In Flanders, it is less hidden.”
In any case, we can see that they are more open on the internet. They don’t expect to be sued for their words. On this point too, it is different from what we had observed with jihadism, whose strategy was to communicate on closed groups. Those who are aware of the risks know how to hide their opinions. They stick to extreme words, but which remain within the limits of the legality. They use in particular the hijacking of images referring to Nazism or the Holocaust, but pass it off as humor in order to be able to invoke freedom of expression.
Everything therefore happens on the Net, social networks …
Yes, but they are also very active in normal life. Some groups encourage their members to train and use weapons. Besides that, it’s true that we also have people who act alone, who are active online and who take part in different discussions, who get involved at different levels.
“Those around these ‘lone wolves’ have generally noticed that they have extremist ideas. They do not go unnoticed.”
In fact, on various disturbing trends: the neo-Nazi groups structured like the Right Wing Resistance group, made up of people who know each other well, trust each other and do activities together. Another category, the one suitable for online groups, but without necessarily being part of an offline group. These are more difficult to identify and we do not really know if they are able to act. In four out of five cases, those around these “lone wolves” generally noticed that they had extremist ideas. They don’t go into previews.
On Wednesday, two ultra-right activists were caught in France in possession of firearms and equipment intended for the manufacture of explosives. These weapons, where do extremists get them?
Recent research by the University of Oslo states that the far right increasingly uses firearms. Which goes against the idea that one can have of these lone wolves who arm themselves with knives.
“These guns, they are procured legally.”
It is very worrying because an attack committed with weapons claims many more victims. Also because these weapons, they are procured in a legal manner. Again, it is different from what we experienced with Islamic jihadism. In these extreme right-wing circles, there is a real fascination with weapons. They collect them and train with them. What is enough basically logical since some of them come from the field of security, the police or the army. It is very easy for them to acquire or divert weapons. They are also very familiar with loopholes in laws and regulations.
Do we know what actions they would be likely to take?
Not really. We know that migration and Islam became central themes in all groups. Even the actions of the ultranationalists are more focused on migration whereas 20 years ago they were more interested in the independence of Flanders.
What is the role of women in the current far right?
They are active, but their role also depends on the groups in which they evolve.
“Women are used to make the message more mainstream and spread propaganda on the internet.”
In identity groups that hide their extremism, for example, they are used to make the message more “mainstream” and disseminate propaganda on the internet. Also to reach a more moderate public, which is not directly sensitive to neo-Nazi ideas. They are often pretty women who have a very ordinary profile. and who, at first glance, write texts on ordinary subjects: cooking, fashion, etc. The goal is to deflect the other person towards radical groups.
You have parallels with jihadism. Are disengagement programs effective on neo-Nazi ideology?
It is a very complex and above all very individual process, but, at the base, these programs were created in northern countries to counter right-wing radicalization appeared in the 1990s and 2000s and the rise of neo-Nazism in these regions. Back then, we were not only working on ideology, but also on education, job search, family. It was only later that the program was applied to jihadism. In addition, the approach has evolved a lot over the past five years. More and more, some CSIL (local integral security cell) deal with the extreme right in the municipalities and on work more at the local level. At the political level: the role of the mayors has become more important, there is more cooperation and multidisciplinary platforms.