Protecting Euro 2024, hosted by Germany from June to July, stands as a top priority for the country’s interior minister, Nancy Faeser, who also oversees sports. An international event of this scale will require temporary border controls during the tournament’s 51 matches, which run from June 14 in Munich to the July 14 final at Berlin’s Olympiastadion. This is a standard precaution for major events, aimed at ensuring security while the world watches.
Such measures are routinely applied to safeguard large gatherings. They help strengthen security by intercepting individuals with violent intentions and prevent the entry of fans who pose a serious risk. The approach is designed to balance open access with robust protection, allowing the event to proceed while keeping potential threats at bay.
The interior ministry stressed that the decision to reinforce controls is not triggered by a single incident. A spokesperson clarified that the objective is to create a security framework flexible enough to support large live broadcast deployments and to secure both stadiums and the wider national territory. The month will see heightened movement of fans, teams, and journalists across ten German cities, turning the country into a dynamic stage for football as well as a test bed for comprehensive security operations. The importance of vigilance is underscored by the fact that security services have previously identified the ongoing risk posed by extremist networks linked to global terror organizations, and remain attentive to evolving threats even amid high-profile events.
In recent days, there have been arrests linked to plots against public spaces in Europe. For instance, in Gera, eastern Germany, two Afghan men were detained on suspicions of involvement with a terror organization and plans to attack a national parliament abroad. Authorities indicated that the planned action would target protests associated with religious discourse in another country, illustrating how police and intelligence services monitor coordinated efforts that transcend borders. The episode followed other high-profile cases where German security forces dismantled plots amid a climate of enhanced counterterrorism activity across Europe following attacks in France and Belgium during 2015 and 2016.
Historical patterns show that prosecutors and security agencies have tightened surveillance and prevention measures in response to evolving threats. In 2019, a six-member group traced to Tajikistan was intercepted for plotting to kill a figure deemed an enemy of the Islamic faith. By 2022, the threat landscape had sharpened, with dozens of suspects identified and many connected to the broader flow of refugees and migrants who have entered Germany in recent years. Notably, Germany has hosted more than a million Ukrainians since the start of the conflict in that country, reflecting the country’s role in humanitarian responses while maintaining vigilance against security risks.
Historical episodes of planned attacks in Europe have included operations foreseen in several cities, sometimes involving suspects who travel across multiple countries within the Schengen area. In the lead-up to last year’s events, authorities reported arrests of individuals who had pinpointed multiple locations for potential attacks during the festive season. The pattern points to an internationalization of plots, where suspects move across borders and target diverse urban centers. These dynamics underscore the need for a coordinated security strategy that can adapt to a fluid threat environment while preserving the integrity of international competitions and the rights of spectators to enjoy the games.