Constitutional protection classification
The first member of parliamentary group emanates from AfD parliamentary group
Sieghard Knodel is serious: Three days ago, the protection of the constitution classified the entire AfD as “secured right -wing extremist”. Now there are first personnel consequences.
Three days after the AfD was classified as “secured right-wing extremist” by the constitutional protection, the AfD parliamentary group lost its first MP. The Baden-Württemberg MP Sieghard Knodel left the parliamentary group and the party on Monday-according to the Bundestag of the Bundestag President Julia Klöckner (CDU). An AfD parliamentary group spokesman confirmed the exit on Tuesday. Knodel justified his step with the high classification of the AfD by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
In an email available to the ZDF, Knodel speaks of having to protect his professional and private environment. He considered the step to be inevitable, even if he is very reluctant to go, the MP added. He wanted to continue to belong to the Bundestag as a member of the parliamentary with a member.
Knodel’s previous AfD district association Reutlingen was “surprised and disappointed” over Knodel’s exit. “We cannot understand the reason given by Mr. Knodel – the classification of the AfD as ‘secured right -wing extremist’ by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution,” said the district association. He asked Knodel to return his Bundestag mandate “immediately” so that another AfD MP can move into the Bundestag.
This high classification of the AfD by the constitutional protection is a “politically motivated approach” and lack “every factual basis,” said the district association. “The fact that Mr. Knodel does not have the political foresight to recognize this is regrettable.”
On the Facebook page of the AfD district association Reutlingen, Knodel’s exit caused outraged reactions. Users insulted him in the comment column as a “traitor”, “careerist” and “election fraudst”.
Again and again exits from AfD parliamentary group
In his biography on the Bundestag website, Knodel operates as a business economist and agricultural machinery mechanic. From 1992 to March 2025, Knodel was the managing director of the company S. Knodel. It specializes in the sale and rental of aeric work platforms.
With Knodel’s exit, the AfD faction shrinks around a member to 151 MPs. Even in the previous legislative periods, the faction had repeatedly lost members.
AFP
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Source: Stern
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