Lower Saxony's constitutional protection agency has classified the AfD state branch as confirmed right-wing extremist, the first such case in western Germany. Interior Minister Daniela Behrens justified this by citing the threat of right-wing extremism to society. The party has announced it will challenge the decision in court.
In Hannover, Interior Minister Daniela Behrens (SPD) of Lower Saxony announced on Tuesday the classification of the AfD state branch as confirmed right-wing extremist by the state's constitutional protection office. The party had been under suspicion as a case for four years and is now deemed a "significant object of observation." "The greatest danger to our society comes from right-wing extremism, and the AfD Lower Saxony is clearly assigned to this phenomenon after the classification," Behrens stated.
This assessment follows similar classifications of AfD state branches in Brandenburg, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The Federal Office for Constitutional Protection classified the national AfD as confirmed right-wing extremist in early May last year, but this is currently on hold due to a lawsuit.
The head of the state office, Dirk Pejril, had informed Behrens in November of the need for an upgrade. On February 10, the minister signed the approximately 200-page report classified as "classified document." The state cabinet was informed on Tuesday.
AfD state chairman Ansgar Schledde called the decision an "outrageous decision" and announced a lawsuit at the Hannover Administrative Court, which was filed on the same day. "It is obvious that political calculation is behind the classification. The constitutional protection as a subordinate department of the interior ministry is being instrumentalized by the SPD minister," Schledde said. The AfD rejects all accusations and emphasizes that it stands on the ground of the Basic Law. As early as January 7, the party had sent a warning letter from the Höcker law firm to Behrens.
Representatives from SPD, CDU, and Greens in the state parliament welcomed the classification. SPD parliamentary group leader Stefan Politze said: "It attacks our freedom and our fellow citizens." CDU parliamentary group chairman Sebastian Lechner stated: "There have been justified doubts for years that the AfD stands on the ground of our free democratic basic order." Greens politician Evrin Camuz explained: "That right-wing extremist thinking and action have also solidified in the Lower Saxony AfD."
The classification expands the surveillance powers of the constitutional protection agency and has consequences for AfD members, particularly civil servants. "Extremists have no place in the public service," Behrens warned. Moreover, enemies of the constitution may not possess weapons and cannot work in security-relevant areas.
