Sieghard Knodel Quits AfD - Following Classification by Constitutional Protection Agency
Faction loses member after elevation by the Constitutional Protection Office - MEP Departs AfD Faction - Due to Commitment to Constitutional Safeguards
In an exclusive, Knodel shares his decision to leave the AfD faction in the Bundestag, citing the need to safeguard his personal and professional sphere. He intends to continue as an independent MP.
Knodel's exit has left his former local AfD association in Reutlingen taken aback and disheartened. They perceive his rationale — the AfD being categorized as a 'confirmed right-wing extremist' by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution — as baffling. They called for Knodel to swiftly relinquish his Bundestag mandate to facilitate another AfD MP's appointment.
The classification of AfD by the Constitutional Protection Agency, according to the local association, is nothing more than a "politically motivated" and "unfounded" action. They express regret over Knodel's lack of political acumen to comprehend this.
The controversy surrounding Knodel sparks heated reactions on the Facebook page of the AfD local association in Reutlingen, with commenters labelling him a "traitor," "careerist," and "election fraudster."
Sieghard Knodel, listed as a business economist and master agricultural machinery mechanic on the Bundestag's website, was the managing director of S. Knodel, a company specializing in elevated work platforms from 1992 to March 2025.
With Knodel's departure, the AfD faction diminishes by one member, now consisting of 151 MPs. The faction has experienced member losses in previous legislative periods.
- AfD
- Constitutional Protection Agency
- Bundestag
- Classification
- Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
- Reutlingen
- Sieghard Knodel
- Julia Klöckner
- CDU
- ZDF
Further Insights
Although Sieghard Knodel's exit may appear to be an individual response, it is in fact a direct consequence of the Constitutional Protection Agency's broader classification of the entire AfD party as a 'confirmed right-wing extremist endeavor.' The agency based its decision on a comprehensive report that documented the AfD's anti-constitutional, racist, and anti-Muslim activities within the party [1][2]. Knodel's resignation follows the categorization, aiming to protect his personal and professional interests. The AfD, as a whole, has vehemently opposed the classification and lodged a lawsuit against the agency, arguing that it infringes upon constitutional rights to freedom of speech [1][2].
- The Constitutional Protection Agency has classified the AfD as a 'confirmed right-wing extremist endeavor,' a decision that has been deeply contested by the party.
- The decision by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution to classify the AfD has been deemed 'politically motivated' and 'unfounded' by the local AfD association in Reutlingen.
- Sieghard Knodel, a former AfD member of the Bundestag, has left the party, citing the need to safeguard his personal and professional sphere following the controversial classification.
- Recently, Julia Klöckner, a CDU parliament member, criticized the AfD on ZDF'sHeute journal, discussing the categorization of the party and the ongoing lawsuit against the Constitutional Protection Agency.
