Irish Examiner view: Another threat to democracy emerges

German plot underlines fragility of democracy and importance of addressing threats before they metastasise into menaces

German police lead 'Heinrich XIII' to a police vehicle during a raid in Frankfurt. Picture: Boris Roessler/dpa

At first glance, the news coming out of Germany seems faintly comic. A potential far-right coup was foiled this week by the German security services, but when it emerged that one of the plotters was the improbably-named Prince Heinrich XIII of Reuss the news acquired a faint whiff of comic opera, particularly as more details emerged about the obscure House of Reuss (all of whose male members are traditionally named Heinrich).

Closer examination reveals a far more sinister backdrop to these events. The plotters are believed to have sought to make contact with Russian officials to help with their plans, for instance.