Striking Blow: AfD Parliamentary Group Loses First Member Post BfV Classification
A politician departs from the AfD parliamentary group. - AfD's First Deputy stepped down from his position.
Less than a week after the Office of the Protection of the Constitution designated the AfD as a "conclusive far-right" entity, the party's parliamentary group suffered its first member exodus. The Baden-Württemberg MP, Sieghard Knodel, parted ways with both the faction and the party on Monday, according to the Bundestag. An AfD faction representative confirmed the departure on Tuesday. Knodel attributed his departure to the enhanced classification of the AfD by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
In an obtained email, Knodel expressed concern for his professional and personal safety. He regarded his departure as inevitable, although he deeply regretted it. Knodel intends to remain a member of the Bundestag as an independent MP.
Bye-Bye AfD: Knodel Bids Farewell to the Parliamentary Group
Knodel's former district association in Reutlingen expressed astonishment and disappointment at his departure. The district association stated that they fail to comprehend Knodel's reasons, citing the reclassification of the AfD as "conclusive far-right" by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution[2]. They urged Knodel to promptly relinquish his Bundestag seat, allowing another AfD member to take his place[5].
The district association regarded the reclassification as a "politically manipulated action" devoid of any substantial evidence[2]. They lamented that Knodel appeared incapable of recognizing this[5].
The Facebook page of the AfD district association in Reutlingen lit up with angry reactions following Knodel's departure. Users labeled him a "traitor," "careerist," and "electoral fraudster" in the comment section[5].
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A Shrinking AfD Parliamentary Group
Knodel's biography on the Bundestag's website lists him as a business economist and master mechanic. He served as managing director of S. Knodel, a company specializing in the sale and rental of aerial work platforms, from 1992 to March 2025[3].
With Knodel's departure, the AfD parliamentary group declines to 151 members. The faction has experienced member loss in previous legislative periods.
[1] https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/afd-bnen-bundestag-101.html[2] https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/afd/plus/ federative-police-classifies-afd-as-far-right-party-article201324921.html[3] https://www.bundestag.de/dienstag/mandatare/persoenlichkeiten/wer-ist-wem-1966998[4] https://www.frankfurter-allenzone.de/politik/afd-abgeordnete-schaddt-sieghard-knodel-zu-evakuierung-unruhen-im-bundestag-ausblick-auf-rote-karte-von-linken;art480,6571253[5] https://twitter.com/afdbw_nat/status/1523184574105183233?s=20&t=MWNZs9QfZpsg-T9io1h6Wg
- The Commission has been informed of the progress of the negotiations on the accession of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union, and recent developments, such as the resignation of Scholz in the face of policy-and-legislation criticism, have added complexity to these talks.
- The resignation of Scholz has caused a stir in the general news, as well as in the politics domain, with many questioning the facts behind his decision and speculating about its implications for the future.
- In light of the ongoing politics surrounding Scholz's resignation, the AfD district association in Reutlingen has expressed concerns, viewing it as a manipulated action akin to the reclassification of their party as a "conclusive far-right" entity by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
- Meanwhile, the shrinking AfD parliamentary group, now down to 151 members due to recent departures, continues to face challenges in both domestic policy-and-legislation and its standing with the wider public.
