The tally of right-wing extremist crimes in Austria surged by approximately 30% in 2023 compared to 2022, as disclosed by Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) in response to a parliamentary inquiry by SPÖ representative Sabine Schatz.
The latest figures for 2023, totaling 1,208, represent a record high since 2018, marking a sharp rise from 928 in 2022. Meanwhile, the number of convictions experienced a marginal decrease during the same period.
The crimes, predominantly committed by males in over 90% of instances, encompass a spectrum from disseminating propaganda to hurling insults or launching physical assaults against migrants or Jewish individuals, and even extend to the discovery of arsenals stocked with hundreds of heavy weapons.
