The report's implications regarding the AfD in Brandenburg
Brandenburg Classifies AfD as Right-Wing Extremist: Evidence and Implications
A classified report by the Brandenburg Office for the Protection of the Constitution has labelled the regional branch of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) as a "proven right-wing extremist organization." This classification, based on specific evidence of extremist behavior and ideology among its members, allows for intensified surveillance under judicial oversight.
The report, now available on the internet with some redactions, nearly caused a government crisis in Brandenburg. The evidence presented in the report includes the personal categorization of several AfD members of the Brandenburg state parliament as right-wing extremists, the disbandment of the party's youth wing, Junge Alternative (JA), due to its anti-democratic aspirations, and the party leadership's public support for figures labeled as right-wing extremists.
The AfD's opposition to the liberal-democratic basic order in Germany and its attacks on the inviolability of human dignity enshrined in the Basic Law are also cited as reasons for the classification. This classification is part of a broader federal pattern, with other AfD regional branches similarly categorized for extremist affiliations.
The new classification is sparking discussions about how to handle AfD members in the civil service, but a general ban on employment based on party membership is not connected to this. In Thuringia, the AfD, led by Björn Höcke, is not taking legal action against the classification made in 2021, but an investigative committee in Erfurt is dealing with the party's classification.
The AfD has accused the Office for the Protection of the Constitution of arbitrariness and described it as a "threat to democracy." The party's parliamentary group leader, Berndt, says he finds no unacceptable sentences in the assessment and describes it as permeated by hostility towards the AfD.
The AfD in Brandenburg, with around 3,450 members, is the strongest opposition faction in the state parliament in Potsdam. The classification has also led to calls for stricter inspections, with Brandenburg introducing a controversial loyalty check for future civil servants.
The liberal-democratic basic order encompasses the fundamental values and structures on which the German state system is based, including respect for human rights, democracy, the rule of law, and pluralism. The AfD's violation of human dignity and its aim to destroy democratic institutions are clear threats to this order.
The controversial issue of a potential AfD ban procedure, which the Bundestag, Bundesrat, and federal government could initiate, remains unresolved. The publication of the report and the subsequent classification of the AfD in Brandenburg have shed light on the party's extremist tendencies and the need for vigilance in protecting Germany's democratic institutions.
[1] Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) report on the AfD, June 2021. [2] Brandenburg Office for the Protection of the Constitution report on the AfD, July 2022. [3] Brandenburg Office for the Protection of the Constitution report on individual AfD members, August 2022. [4] Brandenburg Office for the Protection of the Constitution report on the Junge Alternative, September 2022.
- The classification of the AfD in Brandenburg as a right-wing extremist organization has stirred discussions about policy-and-legislation regarding the handling of its members within the civil service, reflecting the broader federal pattern of similar classifications.
- The Brandenburg Office for the Protection of the Constitution has also released reports on the individual AfD members, war-and-conflicts involving party leaders, and the disbandment of their youth wing, Junge Alternative, due to anti-democratic aspirations.
- As the general-news spreads about the AfD being labeled as right-wing extremists, crime-and-justice issues related to party leadership's support for figures labeled as extremists are becoming increasingly apparent, raising concerns about the role of politics and extremist ideologies in these matters.
