Controversy Erupts Over AfD Classification: Katrin Lange Faces Backlash
Controversial Discussion Arising Over Constitutional Rights: Minister Facing Heat - Controversy Surrounding the Constitutional Shield for the Minister Sparks Dispute
Whoa, the AfD's brand in Brandenburg just took a hit!brandenburg afd controversy
After the controversial designation of the AfD as a clear-cut right-wing extremist tendency by the Brandenburg Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Verfassungsschutz), the SPD Interior Minister, Katrin Lange, is facing heat. Politicians from diverse parties are also expressing concerns and demanding tougher action against the rising right.
Lange surprisingly dismissed the head of the Brandenburg constitutional protection, Jörg Müller, on Tuesday. She pointed to the upgrade of the AfD in Brandenburg from a suspected case to a clear right-wing extremist tendency in April as the primary reason. However, the closely-guarded classified note was not brought before her until three weeks later.
Lange admitted that the trust in Müller had eroded. Going forward, she intends to take the reins on making crucial decisions regarding important observation objects of the constitutional protection herself.
Erik Stohn, the deputy faction leader of the SPD in the Brandenburg state parliament, shared that the past week had been hectic. "We need to regroup and reassure ourselves. And it seems to me that's exactly what Lange did yesterday," Stohn told RBB info radio. Lange, as the interior minister, "must always stay in the loop on matters concerning her department," said Stohn.
Jusos: Security Forces Should Be Prepared to Tackle Challenges
The youth organization of the Social Democrats, the Jusos, referred to Müller's dismissal as a "pretty darn suspicious sign" at a time when they must stand united against threats to democracy. "We want action-oriented security forces committed to upholding the constitution and actively confronting clearly right-wing extremist adversaries of democracy," said Leonel Richy Andicene, the Juso state chairman.
The AfD needs to be monitored closely, according to SPD state parliamentarian Annemarie Wolff.
The Greens, out of the state parliament, criticized the dismissal for appearing to be a politically driven move against a recognized expert and crusader against right-wing extremism. Isabelle Vandre, former Left state parliamentarian, accused Lange of pandering to right-wing populism with increasingly harsh immigration policies for months.
The Brandenburg Action Alliance urged initiatives that combat right-wing extremism and racism to be reinforced. "They require reliability, stability, and political sponsorship – especially now."
On April 14, the Brandenburg Office for the Protection of the Constitution designated the AfD in Brandenburg as a clear-right wing extremist tendency. "The department head made this decision on his own initiative," the Interior Ministry stated in a Wednesday release. However, the corresponding classification note wasn't presented to Lange until May 5, 2025 – just one day before the Parliamentary Control Commission meeting in the state parliament.
This Commission, whose discussions are top-secret, is in charge of monitoring the activities of the constitutional protection.
Lange has revoked a service directive dating back to the CDU-led Interior Ministry in 2023. According to the ministry, the directive assigned the head of the Department for the Protection of the Constitution with the authority to decide on the classification of the AfD as a case of suspicion or confirmed right-wing extremism. "Provisionally," the 2017 service directive will again serve as the guideline, as Lange's office announced. "The steps taken are meant to strengthen specialist oversight."
By restricting the independence of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Interior Minister Lange is facing accusations of political manipulation, claimed Rainer Genilke, the interior policy spokesman for the CDU state parliament faction. "This benefits extremists on the left and right, and undermines the resilience of democracy."
- Politics in Brandenburg has been heated following the Brandenburg Office for the Protection of the Constitution's designation of the AfD as a clear-right wing extremist tendency.
- The SPD's Interior Minister, Katrin Lange, has been facing backlash due to her handling of the AfD classification, and specifically her dismissal of Jörg Müller, the head of the Brandenburg constitutional protection.
- Despite Lange's explanation that the trust in Müller had eroded due to the previously unshared classified note, critics argue that her actions appear to be politically driven.
- The Jusos, the youth organization of the Social Democrats, have demanded action-oriented security forces committed to upholding the constitution, and have labeled Müller's dismissal as a "pretty darn suspicious sign."
