German police officers could face dismissal if they are identified as members of the Populist AFD party, following its classification as a “right-wing extremist” group by the intelligence agency.
Leaders in Hesse and Bavaria have announced plans to investigate the potential banning of civil servants, including police, associated with the anti-immigration Alternative für Deutschland party, as reported by building newspaper.
Recently, the Federal Bureau for Constitutional Protection (BFV) officially marked the open-border agenda of Berlin’s establishment and its approach to mass migration from Muslim-majority countries as “right-wing extremist,” considering it “incompatible with the fundamental principles of the democratic order.”
This declaration will enable states to enhance surveillance of the AFD, which may involve utilizing informants and intercepting communications within the party. Authorities had been conducting surveillance on the party after the BFV had previously classified it as a potential extremist group.
The elevation in classification is seen by some politicians as a rationale to take action against AFD members holding government positions.
Hesse’s Minister of Home Affairs, Rome Posek, indicated that the central right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) would assess how the BFV’s findings might influence public service officials to protect the Constitution.
At an upcoming meeting of state ministers in Bremerhaven, Posek will advocate for a nationwide prohibition on AFD members serving as police officers or civil servants.
Bavarian ministers, led by Marcus Söder from the Christian Social Union (CSU), support this stance. Others are pushing the government to cut public funding to the AFD, which currently enjoys about 26% support, making it the most popular party in Germany.
The chairman of the CDU Legislative Group in Lower Saxony stated, “The Interior Minister’s Meeting should carefully evaluate the demand to withdraw funds from the party. I don’t believe we should be funding right-wing extremists and anti-constitutional propaganda with taxpayer money.”
Furthermore, a proposal to completely ban the AFD in light of the BFV ruling was mentioned by Social Democrat Home Minister Georg Maier, who deemed the ban process a logical consequence of this decision. Approval is required either from Congress or through the Bundesrat or Federal Constitutional Court.
Alice Weidel, AFD co-leader, expressed her concerns, stating, “The anti-democratic home minister aims to target police officers who are AFD members following the BFV ruling. This is an attack on the rule of law and internal security. We stand by our police officers and will not abandon them!”
