Politically-Charged Clash: AfD Classification and Interior Minister's Dismissal
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Facing scrutiny following AfD's designation and dismissal - Official under scrutiny following AfD designation and forced resignation
The Brandenburg Interior Minister Katrin Lange finds herself under intense scrutiny after the abrupt dismissal of Verfassungsschutz (FS) head, Jörg Müller, over the alleged right-wing extremist classification of the local AfD (Alternative für Deutschland) party. Lange, an SPD politician, states she was taken aback by the revised FS assessment of the AfD and took personnel action as a result. In a candid Potsdam press conference, she voiced her disappointment with the process.
The CDU opposition in the state parliament isn’t convinced by Lange’s claim of ignorance regarding the FS’s upgrade of the AfD. They have called for access to the communication between Lange and Müller, suspecting that she had knowledge of the upgrade much earlier than her stated May 5th date.
The AfD in Brandenburg has vowed to take legal action against the classification.
Lange's SPD faction stands firm behind her. Brandenburg Minister President Dietmar Woidke (SPD) merely remarked, "Enough has been said about this," on the sidelines of a meeting.
Plans are underway for Lange to release parts of the 142-page FS report on the AfD assessment, with the goal of making it public. The decision is currently being examined, officials noted.
Initial denials of knowledge about the upgrade of the state AfD by Lange have been dismissed since Wednesday. She clarified that discussions with the departmental leadership over the AfD assessment did occur, but the upgrade was only communicated to her on May 5th — a delay she believes was unacceptable.
The CDU faction remains skeptical of Lange's statement. Questions linger, particularly due to suspicions that Lange had knowledge of the upgrade far earlier than May 5th.
An internal memo from the Interior Ministry suggests that Lange had been convinced, up until the beginning of the week, that she herself would make the final decision on classifying the AfD. However, a 2023 service instruction, previously unaccounted by Lange, suggests that the FS leadership had decided on such matters.
Lange insists that the current AfD classification stands. However, AfD state chairman René Springer demands an immediate withdrawal of this classification.
The SPD in the state parliament questions the compatibility of an AfD membership with public service employment in the wake of the classification. "We will meticulously review the reports from the federal and state FS, carefully evaluating the potential consequences for the state of Brandenburg," said SPD faction leader Björn Lüttmann in a statement.
The youth wing of the Social Democrats, the Jusos, branded Muller's dismissal as "a most unfortunate signal at a time when we must stand together against enemies of democracy." They expect the security authorities to effectively protect the constitution and confront proven far-right threats.
The domestic intelligence agency categorizes investigations into activities against the liberal democratic basic order, with a preliminary investigation, a suspicion case, and a proven extremist level, lowering the threshold for the use of intelligence methods at the proven extremist level.
- Verfassungsschutz
- Katrin Lange
- AfD
- SPD
- Brandenburg
- Classification
- Dismissal
- Potsdam
- CDU
- Jörg Müller
- Political Controversy
- Escalation
- Dietmar Woidke
Key Events Timeline:
- April 14, 2025: Brandenburg's FS internally classified the AfD as "gesichert rechtsextrem" (firmly right-wing extremist) — a move withheld for coordination with other states' FS before official notification to the Interior Minister.
- May 5, 2025: Interior Minister Katrin Lange was informed about the FS's classification of AfD as right-wing extremist.
- May 6, 2025: Katrin Lange dismisses Jörg Müller, the head of the Brandenburg FS, citing the delayed communication regarding the extremist classification.
- Following the dismissal: Lange reclaims government control over sensitive intelligence classifications, spurring debate about the FS's future independence.
- Escalation: Political tensions arise over potential politicization of the FS, with proposals to reinstate the agency's independence by possibly attaching it to the state or federal constitutional courts instead of direct ministerial oversight.
- Context: The AfD’s formal classification as right-wing extremist mirrors the national trend of increased surveillance and classification for extremist tendencies in the party.
- The CDU opposition in Brandenburg suspects that Interior Minister Katrin Lange had knowledge of the Verfassungsschutz's (FS) upgrade of the AfD much earlier than her stated May 5th date.
- The youth wing of the Social Democrats, the Jusos, expect the security authorities to effectively protect the constitution and confront proven far-right threats, branding Muller's dismissal as "a most unfortunate signal at a time when we must stand together against enemies of democracy."
- The SPD in the state parliament questions the compatibility of an AfD membership with public service employment, with state faction leader Björn Lüttmann stating, "We will meticulously review the reports from the federal and state FS, carefully evaluating the potential consequences for the state of Brandenburg."
- Despite Lange's insistence that the current AfD classification stands, the AfD state chairman René Springer demands an immediate withdrawal of this classification, vowing to take legal action against the classification.
