In an era of populism and authoritarian rule around the world, fundamental rights are under increasing pressure even in Germany, a country governed by the rule of law.
The 240-page-long “2026 Fundamental Rights Report” presented in Karlsruhen on Thursday says fundamental rights are at risk, for example, when efforts to combat climate change fade, when affordable housing becomes scarce and when technical standards on social media infringe on informal self-determination. But the greatest danger comes when security concerns dominate domestic policy and lead to a military buildup.
Fundamental Rights Every individual has the basic right to liberty and equality guaranteed by law. In Germany, they are enshrined in the first 19 articles of the Constitution, the Basic Law, and protect individuals from state overreach.
The annual report has been published since 1997, sponsored by human rights organizations. Prof SharanThe humanitarian association and this League for Human Rights. And this year, organizers got a well-known lawyer: former federal Justice Minister Herta Doubler-Gmelin, who served under then-Chancellor Gerhard Schröder of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) from 1998 to 2002.
At Thursday’s press conference, Dobler-Gmelin said the main threats to fundamental rights are Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine, the war in Gaza and the war in Iran. “What are wars of aggression if not the worst possible violation of fundamental and human rights?” he asked.
Germany is seeing ‘rapid militarization’
Through a broad consensus between the conservative bloc, the Social Democrats and the environmentalist Greens, a new loan of €500 billion ($580 billion) was agreed to modernize the Bundeswehr, Germany’s armed forces, in 2025.
The Fundamental Rights Report highlights the “rapid militarization of Germany” unprecedented since the end of World War II. At the same time, government development assistance is being cut. The budget of the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development was reduced from €910 million to €10.31 billion in 2025.
“This means that health care systems in other countries can no longer be maintained. This means that people in Africa are dying because they have no way to escape conflicts,” warned Dobler-Gmelin.
A growing number of SPD government officials share this view. The release of Thursday’s report also coincided with a paper from the Seeheim Circle, the conservative-leaning wing of the Social Democrats, decrying the fact that the value of development aid is currently being “questioned more than ever.”
Reduction in government spending has also affected refugee programs. Thursday’s press conference was attended by Ahmed Mosamem Rahimi, an Afghan refugee and critic of the Taliban regime who has been living in Germany since December. He described how he was forced to wait for two years for permission to enter the country, despite previous promises.
Reason for the delay: The German government ended resettlement programs established by the previous administration after the Islamic Taliban took power in 2021.
“Although I had all my documents and was promised that I would be allowed to come to Germany, I waited for almost two years in Pakistan for my visa,” Rahimi said. Ultimately, he was successful in securing his departure with the help of lawyers.
Can Germany bring back membership?
The authors of the report were particularly concerned about the possible repurposing of prescriptions in Germany.
Athena Möller, a member of the executive board of the International League for Human Rights, said it is arrogant to expect complete loyalty to the German state, “especially from the younger generation”, while the state fails to adequately uphold fundamental rights.
The government is currently attempting to recruit more youth into military service on a voluntary basis. Should this effort fail, the return of membership – which was suspended in 2011 – is also up for discussion.
This article was originally written in German.