When the US Government designated four left-wing European groups as Foreign Terrorist Organisations, many observers questioned whether they genuinely posed a threat to US national security, or whether the move was politically motivated.
The groups targeted on November 13 were Italy’s Informal Anarchist Federation/International Revolutionary Front (FAI/FRI), two Greek ones named Armed Proletarian Justice and Revolutionary Class Self-Defence and Germany’s Antifa Ost.
According to the US State Department, all are alleged to have carried out or inspired politically motivated acts of violence rooted in anarchist or Marxist ideologies.
“These groups vary widely in geographic origin, ideology, objectives and operational capacity,” said Lorenzo Monfregola, an Italian-German journalist and expert on political violence and terrorism.
“Each case must be considered separately. The Italian and Greek cases share some connections and primarily concern national security, whereas the German case involves broader geopolitical considerations,” he added.
The move could soon allow the US administration to exert pressure on the German Government amid alleged ties between some of its members and Antifa.
The link between the Italian and Greek groups reportedly lies mainly in their shared insurrectionary anarchist ideology.
“The connection is more about methods than resources,” Monfregola said.
“They operate as decentralised networks, with each cell acting autonomously and marking its operations locally. Their goal is to target institutions of political and economic power, creating fractures in the State and capitalist system.
“Anyone aligned with these objectives and methods can potentially act under a common banner,” he said.
This banner was created by Italy’s FAI, an informal network of insurrectionary anarchists emerging in the early 2000s. They have carried out attacks on State institutions, major industries and EU organisations—so far without fatalities.
Among their most notable actions were the 2003 explosion near Romano Prodi’s home, then president of the European Commission and former Italian prime minister. Another was the 2012 shooting of Roberto Adinolfi, a director at Ansaldo Nucleare, a nuclear construction firm. Two gunmen fired three shots at him outside his home in Genoa, severely injuring his knee, before fleeing on a motorcycle.
Italian intelligence efforts have significantly curtailed the FAI’s capabilities. Around 2010, the group established a parallel organisation, the FRI, which operates beyond Italy’s borders, co-ordinating autonomous cells across Europe, particularly Spain and Greece, as well as in Latin America.
“What most concerns the US is Latin America: The FRI has claimed attacks in Chile and Mexico. Authorities may fear it could establish a foothold among Mexican migrants in the US, replicating its Italian model,” said Monfregola.
“By designating the FAI/FRI, the US targets a method of operation it fears could eventually reach American soil.”
The case of German Antifa Ost is different, he said. “Here the issue is much more geopolitical. The question is not operational capacity but its links to Germany’s left-wing parties and civil society.
“While anarchists target state and economic power, Antifa Ost focused on organised assaults against far right-wing individuals and groups to intimidate and deter activism.”
Emerging in the mid-2010s, Antifa Ost brought together young far left-wing Germans in an organised gang. Operating both openly and clandestinely, the group carried out brutal attacks against individuals, demonstrations, bars and stores associated with right-wing politics.
Victims were often seriously injured, although there were no fatalities. Hammers were frequently used, earning the group the press nickname Hammerbande. Under police scrutiny, several members were tried and convicted in 2023 for life-threatening assaults on 13 victims.
“Antifa Ost’s operational capacity has been greatly reduced by German authorities and there is no indication it poses a threat to US national security or ever intended to target American interests,” according to Monfregola.
“This suggests the designation is largely geopolitical, allowing the US administration to exert pressure in Germany.”
While few high-level German politicians openly expressed solidarity with the Hammerbande, the objective of vocally targeting right-wing actors is widespread among left-wing parties and civil society organisations.
Many of these groups receive public funding and embrace Antifa Ost’s motto, the German phrase “Kampf gegen Rechts“— “fight against the Right”.
Numerous organisations are closely linked to Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD), part of Berlin’s ruling coalition alongside the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
Several SPD politicians, including prominent members of the current coalition, identify as anti-fascist and maintain associations with Antifa networks.
“By designating a German organisation as terrorist, the US can apply political pressure on the German government, accusing it of being insufficiently firm against domestic terrorism or even ideologically aligned with it,” Monfregola said.
“We are witnessing a new dimension of geopolitical manoeuvring in counterterrorism, and this may be only the beginning.”
German investigative sources contacted by Brussels Signal suggested that direct involvement in actions associated with Antifa Ost by individuals connected to government-linked organisations could emerge soon.
If verified, this would open a new chapter in a story that is no longer confined to Germany or Europe and that has already reached the US.
