Politician Under Fire After Party Classification and Dismissal
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Following the party's classification, the minister faces mounting calls for his resignation - Minister under pressure following AfD classification and dismissal
Katrin Lange, Brandenburg's Interior Minister, faces heat following the ousting of the head of the domestic intelligence agency in connection with the labelling of the regional AfD as a confirmed right-wing extremist. The SPD politician admitted being caught off guard by the domestic intelligence agency's reclassification of the AfD and had consequently taken personnel actions. "I'm livid about this mess," Lange announced in Potsdam.
The CDU opposition in the state parliament doesn't find the minister's statement that she was unaware of the reclassification plausible and has requested access to the communication between Lange and the domestic intelligence chief, Jörg Müller. The AfD in Brandenburg has vowed legal action against the reclassification.
Lange has the backing of her party. Brandenburg's Minister President Dietmar Woidke (SPD) remained tight-lipped, saying only, "We've already exhausted all that" on the side of an appointment.
Lange plans to make parts of the 142-page report on the assessment of the AfD public. These plans are currently being reviewed, as stated in the afternoon.
Lange has been batting away accusations since Wednesday that she was not in agreement with the upgrading of the regional AfD. She claimed it's not about the factual assessment, but about the way the parties interacted with one another.
On Wednesday, Lange described in the interior committee that there had been discussions with the departmental leadership on the assessment of the AfD. However, the actual upgrading on April 14 only reached her on May 5. She argued that it should have been communicated promptly for such an important decision.
The opposition in the state parliament remains skeptical, raising questions, particularly whether Lange, contrary to her claims, had knowledge of the reclassification of the regional AfD as a confirmed right-wing extremist much earlier than May 5. Rumors from the interior ministry suggest that Lange, up until the beginning of the week, believed she herself would personally decide on a party classification. However, a service instruction from the domestic intelligence agency states that the leadership of the agency has made these decisions since 2023. Lange is reported to have learned of this service instruction on May 4.
Lange maintains the decision on upgrading stands. AfD state chairman René Springer demanded an immediate retreat of this decision.
SPD: AfD membership incompatible with public service?
Following the reclassification of the AfD as a confirmed right-wing extremist, the SPD in the state parliament plans to examine whether an AfD membership is compatible with employment in the public service. "We'll carefully review the reports from the federal and state domestic intelligence agencies, paying particular attention to potential consequences for Brandenburg," said SPD faction leader Björn Lüttmann. "In this context, we will also assess whether membership in a party classified as a confirmed right-wing extremist is compatible with the duties of public service."
Jusos see bad omen
The youth wing of the Social Democrats, the Jusos, called the dismissal of Müller "an unfortunate turn of events at a time when we must stand united in the battle against enemies of democracy." ... "We expect reliable security agencies dedicated to protecting our constitution and to resolutely confront verified right-wing extremist enemies of democracy," said the Juso state chairman Leonel Richy Andicene.
How does the domestic intelligence agency operate? The intelligence service classifies efforts against the liberal democratic basic order as follows: First, there's a preliminary investigation; then a suspicion case; and, as the highest level, proven extremist efforts. When a surveillance target is classified at this level, the threshold for the use of intelligence services is lowered.
- Katrin Lange
- AfD
- SPD
- Brandenburg
- Classification
- Dismissal
- Potsdam
- CDU
- Jörg Müller
- Upscaling
- Dietmar Woidke
- Political Tensions
Insights:
- The AfD has been classified as an extremist group by the German domestic intelligence service, BfV, due to their anti-migrant and anti-Muslim stance and attempts to undermine the democratic order[1][2][3].
- The classification of the AfD allows for increased monitoring and potential steps toward banning the party. Recognizing a party as extremist is a step towards banning it[3].
- If the AfD is deemed incompatible with public service, it could face further disruption and loss of support in political circles[4].
[1] https://www.dw.com/en/germany-classifies-far-right-afd-as-extremist-group/a-60032684 [2] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/germany-classifies-afd-far-right-extremist-group-b1963223.html [3] https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/germany-classifies-afd-extremist-anti-democratic-party-2022-05-03/ [4] https://www.dw.com/en/germany-afd-could-lose-government-contracts-over-extremism-designation/a-60079711
- Katrin Lange, the Interior Minister of Brandenburg, is facing criticism for her handling of the reclassification of the AfD as a confirmed right-wing extremist by the domestic intelligence agency.
- The SPD politician has been accused of being unaware of the reclassification, which led to the dismissal of the head of the domestic intelligence agency, Jörg Müller.
- The CDU opposition in the state parliament has requested access to communication between Lange and Müller, while the AfD in Brandenburg has threatened legal action against the reclassification.
- Lange has received support from Brandenburg's Minister President Dietmar Woidke, but the opposition remains skeptical, raising questions about whether Lange had knowledge of the reclassification earlier than the admitted date.
- The SPD in the state parliament plans to examine whether an AfD membership is compatible with employment in the public service following the reclassification.
- The youth wing of the Social Democrats, the Jusos, have called the dismissal of Müller an "unfortunate turn of events" and expect reliable security agencies to protect the constitution and confront verified right-wing extremist enemies of democracy.
- If the AfD is deemed incompatible with public service, it could face further disruption and loss of support in political circles.
