Counter-Radicalisation Strategies: An Analysis of German and French Approaches and Implementations

Abstract

Nowadays, European ‘homegrown’ Jihadism poses a high security threat and is a top issue on the political agenda of various European countries. Islamist radicalisation, which concerns principally juveniles and young adults, is one source of this, one may argue, ‘new’ form of terrorism that challenges Europe’s societies. Whilst the phenomenon of Islamist radicalisation and its causes has increasingly gained scholarly attention, little systematic knowledge on political policies and preventive measures implemented to counter it exists. This chapter addresses the gap by providing detailed overview of domestic counter-radicalisation strategies and programmes implemented in Germany and France, two countries with a sizeable Muslim population and therefore particularly exposed to the threat posed by violent Islamist extremism. The counter-radicalisation strategies are inspected and compared on the basis of theoretical considerations on the legitimacy of state authority.