Paper: Far-Right Extremists on the Rise

The number of known right-wing extremists in Germany rose sharply last year to 3,800, the Tagesspiegel newspaper reported Friday. The Berlin daily, citing security experts, said that 800 more people became known to the authorities as neo-Nazis in 2004. It said the areas worst-hit by the phenomenon were the city state of Berlin and Brandenburg, the relatively poor eastern region that surrounds the capital. The report said some 950 neo-Nazis were now active in Berlin, compared to 750 in 2003, and 300 in Brandenburg, 80 more than the previous year. It noted that around 10,000 people were involved in Germany's skinhead movement. Far-right political parties made big gains in state elections last year, as voters voiced their anger at Chancellor Schröder's failure to cut unemployment and revive the economy.