A New ‘Regicides’ Era? Analyzing Trends in Terrorism Threats Against European Elected Officials
Some recent terrorist activities in Europe, including a foiled plot against Belgium’s prime minister, have purposefully aimed at elected officials. This is not a new phenomenon, as there is a long tradition of political assassinations among terrorist groups. However, there are some indications that this may be the start of a new era of political violence against state representatives. This study analyzes data on terrorist attacks against European elected officials over the past decade. It concludes that there is a persistent threat, dominated by far-right violent extremism. While the data does not allow one to conclude that the threat is growing in Europe, the study highlights some significant trends that could result in higher threat levels against government officials.
This article was originally published in the CTC Sentinel from the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point and the full text can be found here
(Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)