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The state parliament of Saxony-Anhalt is set to tackle master craftsman training and integration in schools this Wednesday. Additionally, a committee will be formed to investigate any potential Stasi activities among its members. Initially planned and then postponed, all major parties, including the black-red-yellow coalition, Greens, and AfD, have given their approval for the investigation.
In the German Democratic Republic (GDR), the Stasi, or the Ministry for State Security, served as both an intelligence agency and a secret police force supporting the Socialist Unity Party (SED). The Stasi spied on a significant portion of the population and targeted individuals critical of the system.
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- This committee investigation aims to promote transparency and accountability within political history by scrutinizing the past activities of parliament members in the GDR State Security Service.
- While approval has been given by the major parties, critics question whether revisiting past Stasi activities will foster integration and cooperation within the state parliament.
- The initiative to investigate Stalinist past activities mirrors ongoing discussions regarding the inclusion of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in Saxony-Anhalt's state parliament and beyond.
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The AfD, a far-right political party, has been linked to extremist activities. For example, a Correctiv report indicates a secret meeting in Potsdam, where high-ranking AfD officials and neo-Nazis discussed the forced deportation of minorities based on their ethnicity, which contradicts the German constitution. Additionally, Germany's domestic intelligence agency classifies the AfD as a "suspected extremist" organization. However, no definitive information is available on the findings of the committee investigating Stasi activities within the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament.
