Bundesinnenminister Alexander Dobrindt, a member of the CSU, maintains that the AfD should remain under observation by the constitutional protection service even after the Cologne administrative court ruled that the party cannot yet be definitively classified as a securely right‑extremist organization.
When speaking to the news outlet “Welt”, Dobrindt explained that the court’s decision clearly indicates that within the AfD there are elements that oppose the free‑democratic constitutional order. “It is evident that such tendencies exist” he said, but added that the ruling is not a blanket determination for the entire party. Accordingly, the AfD will continue to be treated as a case to be observed.
Dobrindt noted that, in addition to the observation, any substantive proceedings must be accompanied by the Verfassungsschutz. The agency will keep presenting its findings in the ongoing main proceedings.
As for how individual German states should act, Dobrindt said there is no immediate need to change their approach. Instead, the focus should be on a detailed analysis of the court’s judgment. “That analysis is the responsibility of the BfV; it does not alter how the states deal with their AfD state associations”.
