Right -wing extremism: What does the report on the AfD in Brandenburg mean?

The Protection of the Constitution in Brandenburg accuses the AfD of radicalization and, as a fourth state association in Germany, classifies it as secure right -wing extremist. Her political course is directed against human dignity, democracy and the rule of law – Interior Minister René Wilke (independent) in Potsdam has no doubt about this. He has now made the knowledge of the protection of the constitution collected in an expert opinion. Previously, the AfD in Brandenburg had been classified as a suspicion.

The case is in the suspense due to the legal discussion. The AfD complains against the classification, a court decision is still pending. The AfD federal party was also classified as secured at the beginning of May. In contrast, the AfD is also legal. Until a court decision in this matter, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution has therefore put the higher rating back on hold.

What is the knowledge of the protection of the constitution?

The Brandenburg Constitutional Protection comes to the conclusion in a 142 -page report – officially called “classification” – that the AfD is active against the freedom -democratic basic order. Interior Minister Wilke said that she violates human dignity and wants to destroy the democratic state with its institutions.

The authority is based on statements and positions primarily by leading heads, including the state chairman René Springer and parliamentary group leader Hans-Christoph Bernd. It also calls close contacts to extremist groups, the magazine “Compact”, the “identity movement” about the Austrian right -wing extremist Martin Sellner and the now dissolved “Institute for State Policy”.

At the presentation of the report, the interior minister said that the AfD attacks the inviolability of human dignity anchored in the Basic Law because it makes a difference in the way it is worth how much value and how many rights a person. “Anyone who is not knowing and who belongs to Muslim faith is by no means belonging to Germany,” summarized the Protection of the Constitution Wilfried Peters a position in the debate about “Remigration”. Political scientist Jan Thomeczek from the University of Potsdam told the DPA to the report: “What is proven there seems to me to be quite clear.”

What does the free-democratic basic order mean?

It includes the basic values and structures on which the German state system is based. This includes, among other things, the respect of the human rights stipulated in the Basic Law, in particular the inviolable dignity of man as well as the principles of democracy, the rule of law and pluralism.

Why is the report public?

In connection with the classification of the AfD by the Protection of the Constitution, there would be almost a government crisis in Brandenburg. The then SPD Minister of the Interior Katrin Lange resigned in the intra-party dispute about dealing with the party and the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. Previously, she had released the former head of the constitution Jörg Müller, who is responsible for the report.

The AfD talks Klein’s gain in knowledge and urged Minister of the Interior Wilke to make the note of the classification – i.e. the 142 pages – public. However, according to Wilke, the AfD herself ensured that the expert opinion is closed. The AfD then withdrew its urgent application after some hickhack. This made it possible to disclose the report initially classified as confidential with some blackening. It is available on the Internet.

The AfD arbitrarily accuses the protection of the constitution, describes the intelligence service as a “danger to democracy” and wants to stop the classification. In the report, he “found something in no sentence where I would say, we went too far, that is not acceptable – on the contrary,” said AfD parliamentary group leader Berndt. “The whole note for our classification is supported by hostility to the AfD.”

According to its own statements, the state party in Brandenburg has grown to around 3,450 members. It provides the strongest opposition faction in the state parliament in Potsdam. In a survey on Sunday question, the AfD was ahead with 32 percent of the vote in June.

What is the situation in other federal states?

Clarity as to whether the classification of the protection of the constitution is also confirmed in court can take a long time. In Saxony-Anhalt, the AfD has not yet been decided as secure right-wing extremist by a lawsuit submitted in April 2024.

In Thuringia, the AfD with its state party and faction leader Björn Höcke does not take legal action against the classification made in 2021. However, there is an investigation committee on the protection of the constitution in Erfurt, which also deals with the classification of the party. The AfD in terms of the Bautzen Higher Administrative Court was unsuccessful.

What are the consequences of classification?

“The effect for the trailers can vary, overall – we saw this in the other federal states – but no great departure is to be expected,” estimates political scientist Thomeczek. However, it could be problematic for civil servants. “It is possible that some officials who are AfD members leave as a precaution.”

Because the new classification of the AfD triggers discussions about dealing with its members of the civil service. This does not combine a general exclusion of employment due to party membership. This must continue to be checked in individual cases, it said in Potsdam.

In any case, several other federal states advocated stricter reviews. Brandenburg introduced a non -controversial constitutional check for prospective civil servants – with a rule request for the protection of the constitution. In addition, demands were made to check the party financing. An AfD prohibition procedure that could initiate the Bundestag, the Federal Council and the Federal Government remains controversial.