Leading security politicians from the CDU and SPD have issued warnings regarding massive security risks for Germany should the AfD assume governmental responsibility following the state election in Saxony-Anhalt.
Marc Henrichmann, CDU politician and chairman of the Bundestag’s intelligence services control panel, told the “Handelsblatt” that the matter constituted a “question of national security”. He stressed the critical dependence of cooperation among the federal government, the states, intelligence services, and international partners on trust.
Henrichmann argued that if a party with documented connections to right-wing extremist circles and a noticeably pro-Russia stance were to take office, it would place the foundation of cooperation under considerable stress. He highlighted that at all times, the confidentiality and protective interests must be guaranteed when exchanging sensitive threat assessments or safety-critical information. Consequently, the CDU politician demanded that federal security authorities must promptly examine how sensitive information, sources, and operational structures could be protected, asserting that information should only flow where confidentiality is guaranteed.
Sebastian Fiedler, the SPD parliamentary spokesperson for the Bundestag faction, also expressed alarm regarding the possibility of an AfD government. Speaking to the “Handelsblatt”, he stated that such a scenario would impact Germany’s entire security architecture, posing special challenges for security authorities.
Both politicians noted the critical dilemma of having an opponent in the form of a right-wing, Putin-friendly state government within one’s own ranks. They emphasized that if right-wing extremists were in power, ideal conditions would require them to remain unaware of who among them is monitored by the Federal Constitution Protection Agency. Therefore, intelligence services and police would have to carefully weigh which information could be made accessible to a government of this nature.
