Brandenburg's Interior Minister Grills Over AfD Classification Amidst Scathing Dismissal
Facing Scrutiny Following Assessment and Dismissal of AfD Members - After classification as an extremist party and subsequent dismissal, the concerned Minister is now under mounting pressure.
Head over heels in a storm of controversy, Brandenburg's Interior Minister Katrin Lange is under the pump after the boot's been handed to Jörg Müller, the head of Verfassungsschutz, in connection to the tagging of the state AfD as a confirmed far-right extremist. The SPD heavyweight admitted to being caught off guard by the evaluation of the AfD by Verfassungsschutz, and as a result, stirred the pot by stirring the pot.
The CDU opposition ain't buying it, and they're demanding access to the chatlogs between Lange and Müller. The AfD in Brandenburg has vowed to drag this mess to court.
Lange's wingman, Brandenburg's Minister President Dietmar Woidke (SPD), is keeping tight-lipped, stating only, "We've spoken about this one already."
Lange wants to set the records straight by making public sections of the 142-page report detailing the AfD's evaluation. The docs are under review at the moment.
Since Wednesday, Lange's put her hooves down about being complicit in the upgrading of the state AfD. She's adamant it's got nothing to do with the party's factual assessment, but rather the way they treat each other.
Last week, Lange spilled the beans in the interior committee about the conversations with the department on the AfD's evaluation. Yet, it wasn't until May 5 that she received the green light on the party's upgrade. She reckons it should've been dropped on her immediately for such an important decision.
The CDU's got their doubts about Lange's story.
Suspicions are bubbling up, especially among the opposition in the state parliament. They suspect Lange had knowledge of the upgrading of the state AfD as a confirmed far-right extremist long before May 5. Word on the street is that Lange assumed she had the final call on the classification of a party until the beginning of the week. But a service instruction from the Verfassungsschutz says differently—citing that leadership of Verfassungsschutz has been making this call since 2023. Lange was filled in on the service instruction on May 4.
Lange's stance: The current classification of the AfD stays put. The AfD state chairman René Springer is calling for her to withdraw her decision pronto.
The SPD in the state parliament's got their scent on the ground, wanting to explore whether AfD membership is compatible with government employment. "We'll dive deep into the federal and state Verfassungsschutz reports, particularly focusing on any legal repercussions for Brandenburg," said SPD faction leader Björn Lüttmann.
The youth wing of the Social Democrats, the Jusos, isn't impressed with Müller's dismissal, describing it as "a crummy signal at a time when we've got to stand united against enemies of democracy."
But what's next for the constitutional protection agency? According to their ops, evaluating threats to the liberal democratic foundation consists of three stages: preliminary investigation, suspicion case, and the highest level—proven extremist efforts. When a target's classified at this level, the threshold for intelligence service measures drops.
- Brandenburg
- AfD
- Katrin Lange
- SPD
- Jörg Müller
- Dismissal
- Classification
- Verfassungsschutz
- CDU
Enrichment Data:
Based on the digging, here's a snapshot of the current state of affairs concerning the AfD's classification and related turmoil:
Classification of the AfD as a Far-Right Extremist Group
- Classification: Germany's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) officially classed the Alternative for Germany (AfD) as a "confirmed far-right extremist endeavor" in May 2025[1][2][3]. This decision came after a comprehensive report outlining the party's prejudiced views and violations of core founding principles, such as human dignity and the rule of law, among others[4].
- Implications: This classification allows German authorities to keep a closer eye on the AfD and potentially limit the party's financial aid. Moreover, discussions surrounding the party's potential banning have gained momentum, with 48% of participants in a recent poll favoring such a move[3].
- The classification of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) as a confirmed far-right extremist endeavor by Germany's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) has sparked controversy, particularly in Brandenburg.
- Brandenburg's Interior Minister, Katrin Lange, finds herself embroiled in a scandal due to the AfD's classification, as she is being questioned about her role in the decision.
- The Player's official opposition, the CDU, is suspicious of Lange's involvement and is demanding access to her conversations with Jörg Müller, the head of Verfassungsschutz, who made the initial evaluation of the AfD.
- The SPD in Brandenburg's state parliament is looking into whether AfD membership could be incompatible with government employment, with SPD faction leader Björn Lüttmann stating they will delve into federal and state Verfassungsschutz reports for any legal repercussions in Brandenburg.
