Leaving the AfD: MP Sieghard Knodel Steps Down Over Classification as Far-Right
MP departs from AfD group in parliament - Initial Party Member Exits AfD Party
In the wake of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution categorizing the Alternative for Germany (AfD) as a confirmed right-wing extremist endeavor, Sieghard Knodel, Bundestag MP from Baden-Württemberg, has departed from the AfD faction and the party altogether. Knodel communicated his decision to the President of the Bundestag, Julia Klöckner (CDU), on Monday, citing the upgrading of the AfD as the reason for his step. The MP views this necessity, but expresses profound regret, in an email obtained by ZDF.
Knodel's Exit: A Personal Protective Measure
Buffeted by the overhaul of the AfD by the domestic intelligence agency, Knodel felt compelled to safeguard his professional and private sphere. He aims to remain an independent Bundestag member moving forward.
The local AfD association in Reutlingen, where Knodel previously served, conveyed "surprise and dismay" at his exit, attributing it to the categorization of the AfD as 'conclusively far-right' by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. The association has urged Knodel to relinquish his Bundestag mandate promptly, enabling another AfD representative to take his place in the Bundestag.
The local association sees the classification as a politically motivated action devoid of any factual basis. They lament Knodel's apparent lack of political acumen in recognizing this. On the Facebook page of the AfD local association Reutlingen, Knodel's exit has incited angry responses, with users labeling him a "traitor," "careerist," and "election fraudster."
The Shrinking Oasis of AfD Representatives
Sieghard Knodel joins the ranks of business economist and agricultural machinery master mechanic in the Bundestag. From 1992 to March 2025, he served as managing director of S. Knodel, a company specializing in aerial work platforms sales and rental.
Knodel's exit reduces the AfD faction to 151 members in the Bundestag, impacting the political landscape as the party struggles with internal unrest and electoral reverberations following the classification. The AfD maintains its resolve to continue operations and has instigated a legal battle against the classification.
- Sieghard Knodel
- AfD
- Domestic Intelligence Agency
- Bundestag
- Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
- Following the classification of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) as a confirmed right-wing extremist endeavor by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Sieghard Knodel, Bundestag MP from Baden-Württemberg, has resigned from the AfD faction and the party.
- In an email obtained by ZDF, Knodel expressed his regret but viewed the necessity of departing from the AfD due to the reclassification.
- The local AfD association in Reutlingen, where Knodel previously served, has reacted with surprise and dismay to his exit, attributing it to the categorization of the AfD as 'conclusively far-right.'
- Knodel's decision to resign from the AfD affects the party's representation in the Bundestag, as his exit reduces the AfD faction to 151 members, impacting the political landscape and the party's ongoing internal unrest and legal battle against the classification.
