Maximilian Krah, a right-wing German lawmaker, made comments seen as so explosively outside the mainstream of acceptable political discourse, that his party was disowned by other far-right leaders, breaking a major coalition in the European Parliament.
The Alternative for Germany party is soaring in popularity, especially in the east. Now many Germans are fiercely debating how best to defeat the radical right.
The raids were the second such action in about a week and came about 10 months after the authorities foiled what they described as a far-right plot to topple the government.
Reichsbürger, the movement behind a plan to overthrow Germany’s government, gained momentum from conspiracy theories that grew during the pandemic, turning it into a potent new threat.