Brandenburg Interior Minister in Hot Seat Over AfD Classification Delay
Far-right Party AfD Ignored by Minister's Classification - Right-wing political party, the AfD, labeled as extremist.
Hold onto your hats folks, because this one's a doozy! It looks like Brandenburg's Interior Minister is facing some major heat after admitting she was oblivious to the fact that the state's AfD party was upgraded to a "confirmed far-right extremist endeavor" by the Brandenburg constitutional protection agency back in April.
To make matters worse, it seems that the head of said agency, Jörg Müller, only informed the minister about the decision to reassess the AfD on Monday - a full three weeks later! A real Cliffhanger, huh?
The AfD themselves, predictably, didn't take this news lying down. They dismissed the upgrade as nothing more than "political arbitrariness," while the CDU opposition in the state parliament didn't find the minister's explanation particularly compelling.
Muller, for his part, stayed mum when it came to the minister's accusation, while the SPD politician, who by the way didn't question the agency's expert assessment on the AfD, insisted that the issue at hand wasn't the evaluation itself but the communication process.
Interestingly enough, the AfD has long been considered a suspected right-wing extremist case in Brandenburg, but it wasn't until April that they were bumped up to confirmed status. This upgrade came just days before the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution declared the AfD a confirmed far-right extremist at the federal level in May 2025.
It seems that the minister has decided to shake things up in the wake of this mess, revoking a service instruction from 2023 that gave the head of the constitutional protection agency the power to decide on the classification of the AfD as a suspected case or confirmed far-right extremist. Instead, the service instruction from 2017, which gives the interior minister herself the power to decide on the classification of "observation objects" of particular political significance, will once again apply.
The CDU isn't too pleased about this, complaining that the Interior Minister is undermining the independence of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. They argue that this move could stoke the fires of extremism on both the left and right and weaken the resilience of democracy.
The Left, who, as it turns out, are no longer represented in the Brandenburg state parliament, all but accused the minister of being the AfD's "best friend" in the cabinet with her approach.
AfD leaders, for their part, are demanding to know the reasons behind the reclassification and have threatened to sue the Office for the Protection of the Constitution for violating their right to free speech.
So there you have it folks, a political drama that's got everyone talking and leaves us with plenty of questions. Will the minister manage to salvage her relationship with the constitutional protection agency? Will the AfD's legal challenge succeed? Stay tuned for updates!
Context:
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) is a right-wing populist political party in Germany, founded in 2013. The party has been associated with numerous controversial statements and actions, including denying the Holocaust, opposing migrant policies, and promoting xenophobic ideas. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) has been monitoring the party since November 2017, classifying them initially as having right-wing extremist potential. In May 2025, the BfV upgraded the AfD to a confirmed far-right extremist brand, which allows for broader monitoring and potential restrictions on the party.
- The Commission has also been asked to submit a proposal for a regulation on the introduction of a new system of taxation for branding far-right political entities, highlighting the AfD as a case in point.
- In an unprecedented move, Parliamentarians are calling for a thorough investigation into the Brandenburg Interior Minister's delayed response to the AfD's upgrade, questioning her capability to handle policy-and-legislation related to politics, general news.
- Beyond the classification drama, the AfD has repeatedly exposed parliamentarians engaged in politics, leading many to question the integrity of policy-making.
- As a response to criticism, the minister has announced plans to upgrade the policy-and-legislation process, aiming to improve transparency, communication, and expedite upgrading or downgrading of any political entity as needed.
