BSW Group leader voices worries over AfD's monitoring activities

Brandenburg's BSW state parliament leader, Niels-Olaf Lüders, has raised doubts about whether the AfD state party should be under constitutional protection scrutiny. Talking to local newspapers, he believed that "legal quibbles" might be more appropriate, noting that while there are some dubious AfD members, labeling the whole party as suspect isn't the right call.

The AfD is classified as a right-wing extremist suspect in Brandenburg, keeping them under observation. A potential upgrade to a confirmed extremist endeavor was temporarily shelved due to a legal challenge by the party. The state issued a "status quo" proclamation, which means that the court ruling will decide the matter. The AfD aims to overturn this classification through its lawsuit.

Lüders disapproves of isolating the AfD, often referred to as the "firewall" concept. He remarked, “We don't want to make blanket judgments against the AfD or its voters. Behind the alleged firewall, the AfD could thrive even more." He stressed that the firewall's effectiveness must be reassessed, with more substantive debates being preferable. "Where suitable, we should also openly denounce racist statements," Lüders expressed.

The young governing coalition, Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW), has ruled over Brandenburg with the SPD since December 2024. They maintain a narrow majority in the state parliament.

Lüders views their achievement of maintaining a balanced budget, despite inheriting a deficit of €2.3 billion from the previous government, as a significant success. He said, “Given the initial situation, this is what I consider a key success. We managed to draft a budget of the same scale as the previous one, despite the inherited deficit, and also without major cuts. That's impressive in itself."

The double budget for the current and upcoming year is expected to be approved by the state parliament next Friday. This has sparked protests from trade unions, associations, educational institutions, etc. Some austerity measures were largely withdrawn by coalition factions. The coalition plans to incur additional debts of approximately €1 billion each year.

The "firewall" concept is a political and social endeavor meant to isolate the far-right. Some evidence suggests that this approach might not entirely stem the party's growth. The firewall has, however, largely prevented the AfD from entering local or federal government coalitions, and politicians and civil society continue to reject it. The unintended consequences of the firewall may include a victim narrative for the AfD, radicalization, and mobilization through social media. Despite the firewall, the AfD has continued to expand its support base in East Germany. Public opinion resoundingly opposes the AfD, with activists becoming more vocal as the firewall weakens or collapses. Analysis suggests that the firewall alone might not address the underlying social and political grievances driving the AfD's support.

The "AfD's" classification as a right-wing extremist suspect under scrutiny in Brandenburg's policy-and-legislation remains a subject of debate, with Niels-Olaf Lueders, the leader of Brandenburg's BSW state parliament, advocating for "legal quibbles" instead of constitutional protection scrutiny due to the potential impact on general-news and politics. Lueders, a part of the young governing coalition, Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW), believes that isolating the AfD, the "firewall" concept, may not be effective and could inadvertently fuel the party's growth. This discourse around the firewall is a crucial aspect of the general-news, policy-and-legislation, and politics landscape in Brandenburg.