From France to Germany, the nightmare of Islamic attacks returns across Europe

The Crocus massacre in Moscow evokes the worst nightmares around Europe. The EU, net of some isolated incidents, although dramatic for the victims involved, in recent years has had to deal more with wars on its borders than with serious attacks on its soil, in the style of Bataclan or the Nice seafront. Yet, with the war in Gaza raging and the consequent high number of civilian victims, Europe had already started a reflection, launching a crackdown on the control front. As always, however, the snitch is in the hands of individual countries.

Increased alert in France

In France, where the alert is permanent, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced that the Vigipirate plan had been raised to the highest level (‘attack emergency’) and decided to visit the Saint-Lazare station in Paris to personally support the soldiers engaged in the anti-terrorism operation Sentinels. According to the French Ministry of Education, around 130 schools across the country have been subject to attack threats and “malicious acts” since last week. Furthermore, it should not be forgotten that soon – this summer – the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will be staged. An additional challenge for the French security forces. Especially since President Emmanuel Macron revealed how the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISPK) has made “several attempts” to strike on French “soil” in recent months.

The Islamist threat in Germany

The ISPK “currently represents the greatest Islamist threat in Germany too” and the “danger of Islamist terrorism remains acute” in the country, declared the German Interior Minister, Nancy Faeser, without however giving more precise indications.

In Belgium alert level 3 out of 4

Belgium – last week marked the eighth anniversary of the attacks in Brussels – has instead decided to maintain the alert level against the risk of terrorist attacks at 3 out of 4. The alert was raised to level 3 on 16 October after the attack in which two Swedish citizens were killed in the center of Brussels. Level four, specified by the body responsible for anti-terrorism surveillance, the Ocam, implies a “serious and imminent” threat, which at the moment does not appear justified. However, at the beginning of the month there were arrests against four young people, accused of planning an attack on the Botanique concert hall, one of the busiest cultural centers in the capital. A scheme, coincidentally, very similar to the one followed in Moscow.