The Saxon branch of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) is challenging the Office for the Protection of the Constitution's classification of them as a right-wing extremist movement. The party has filed both a temporary injunction and a lawsuit at the Dresden Administrative Court, claiming defamation and the denial of an expert opinion. Party leader Jörg Urban accuses Saxony's Minister President, Michael Kretschmer (CDU), of ordering the political defamation of the AfD before elections.
Urban argues that the classification is a politically motivated move, citing Kretschmer's involvement. He also states that the AfD supports the free democratic basic order and that the classification has actually led to an increase in membership applications and a militant response among party members.
The Dresden Administrative Court will first consider enforcing the expert opinion used to justify the classification with a temporary injunction, as the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution (LfV) rejected the request. If successful, the main proceedings will focus on challenging the classification itself, potentially involving the Saxon Constitutional Court.
According to Urban, the AfD has historically been depicted as a victim of left-wing violence in LfV reports. Meanwhile, the CDU has remained silent on the matter.
Insights:
- The German intelligence agency, the BfV, has classified the AfD as a possible extremist threat, which allows them to monitor the party's activities.
- This classification has led to debates on banning the AfD, with a German high court ruling upholding the classification in 2021.
- The classification allows the BfV to conduct surveillance on the AfD, monitor its activities, and members.
- Critics argue that the AfD's rhetoric and policies pose an existential threat to Germany's democratic order.
- The AfD has denied being an extremist organization and has taken steps to distance itself from more radical elements, such as dissolving its youth wing.
The AfD's legal action against its classification is a controversial and ongoing issue in German politics, with implications for the party's future and Germany's democratic institutions.
