Right-wing extremists reportedly support the AfD Brandenburg, as stated by the Minister.
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the German state of Brandenburg has been classified as far-right by the Interior Ministry. This classification, set to be officially published on August 14, follows a series of controversial statements and policies that have raised concerns about the party's adherence to constitutional principles.
The AfD's anti-constitutional positions are rooted in their advocacy of exclusionary nationalism, anti-immigration stances, and rhetoric that ethnicizes and polarizes populations. These positions contravene the democratic and pluralistic order enshrined in Germany's Basic Law, specifically Article 3, which guarantees equality for all people.
The party's xenophobic and racist tendencies have been evident in their opposition to the constitutional prohibition of discrimination. They have made statements that target primarily Muslims, and have proposed legislative measures that exclude German citizens with different cultural or religious backgrounds.
The AfD's classification as far-right is not limited to Brandenburg. The party has already been classified as such by the state constitutional protection offices in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. On a national level, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution upgraded the AfD from a suspicion case to a "secure right-wing extremist endeavor" at the beginning of May.
However, the AfD has taken legal action against this national classification, and has also criticized the delay in publishing the memo on its classification in Brandenburg. The state chairman of the AfD in Brandenburg, René Springer, described the memo as "claims, insinuations, and quotes taken out of context."
Despite this, the AfD's far-right classification in Brandenburg is supported by their broader political strategies that contribute to shifting the political agenda rightward. These strategies include alliances on anti-immigration motions with mainstream conservatives and the promotion of narratives that challenge constitutional democratic norms such as minority rights and social equality.
In Brandenburg, these far-right positions align with broader trends in increasing right-wing extremism. The Brandenburg Office for the Protection of the Constitution has documented rising numbers of right-wing extremists and violence-oriented actors in the state.
In light of these developments, the classification of the AfD as far-right extremist in Brandenburg underscores the importance of upholding constitutional principles of equality and democratic order in the face of growing right-wing extremism in Germany.
[1] Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution [2] Brandenburg Office for the Protection of the Constitution [3] Interior Ministry of Brandenburg
- The AfD's strategies, such as alliances on anti-immigration motions and the promotion of narratives that challenge democratic norms like minority rights and social equality, have contributed to their classification as far-right extremist by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the Interior Ministry of Brandenburg.
- The Brandenburg Office for the Protection of the Constitution has reported an increase in right-wing extremists and violence-oriented actors in Brandenburg, highlighting the importance of the Interior Ministry's classification of the AfD as far-right extremist to uphold constitutional principles of equality and democratic order.
