AfD's Youth Wing under Scrutiny in NRW
In North Rhine-Westphalia, the youth group of the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), known as Junge Alternative (JA), is now under the watchful eye of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. This development comes after Interior Minister Reul stated that the JA has aligned itself with right-wing extremist ideologies, paving the way for its inclusion in the New Right movement.
The state-level JA in North Rhine-Westphalia has mirrored the federal JA's political trajectory since 2019, as observed by Minister Reul. This trajectory includes a nationalistic and ethnic view of the population, coupled with xenophobic tendencies. JA's actions often violate the guarantee of human dignity, with a clear intent to marginalize people with a migration background and Muslims.
The JA in North Rhine-Westphalia has also developed into a component of the New Right's right-wing extremist movement, as noted by Reul. They promote the Identitarian Movement and its successor organizations like Lukreta, Revolte Rheinland, 1 Prozent, and the Institut für Staatspolitik on social media.
The New Right's Agenda
The New Right, which the JA has adopted a substantial part of, asserts biases and values that undermine the German democratic order. This movement includes protagonists with right-wing extremist backgrounds and close ties with the dissolved, informally-disbanded right-wing extremist wing of the AfD and its ideological leader, Björn Höcke.
When an organization falls under suspicion, the threshold for collecting and storing personal data and employing surveillance techniques, such as wiretapping and informant recruitment, increases. This is because there must be sufficient weighty factual indicators of anti-constitutional aspirations, ensuring that the measures undertaken are in line with the guidelines of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
The AfD's Legal Battles
In response to the classification of the AfD as a suspected case of right-wing extremism, a dispute has ensued between the federal AfD party and the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. The federal AfD is vehemently defending itself against the ruling. In March 2022, the Cologne Administrative Court handed down a ruling in favor of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, classifying the AfD as a suspected case. The JA, too, wishes to avoid being classified as a suspected case.
The spring of 2022 will see decisions from the Higher Administrative Court in Münster regarding these nationwide cases, as the proceedings are still underway in North Rhine-Westphalia since Berlin is home to the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. Regardless of the legal conclusion, Interior Minister Reul emphasized the necessity of addressing the political aspects of the AfD's youth organization, encouraging sound policies suitable for the German population.
Relevant Notes
- The classification of Junge Alternative (JA) as a suspected right-wing extremist organization by the North Rhine-Westphalian Office for the Protection of the Constitution is a direct outcome of their promotion of ideologies incompatible with human dignity and discrimination against individuals with a migration background and Muslims.
- The youth wing of the AfD in North Rhine-Westphalia has formed part of the New Right's right-wing extremist movement, displaying support for organizations such as the Identitarian Movement via social media platforms.
- The leadership and activities of JA, as well as the affiliations of its key figures, have been marred by extremist views and actions, making them a continuous focus of attention and vigilance for German authorities.
