Brandenburg’s branch of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) has been officially designated as a confirmed extremist organization by the state’s office for constitutional protection. The assessment was announced Thursday by State Interior Minister René Wilke and the head of the state’s Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Wilfried Peters. The release of the formal classification document became possible after the AfD withdrew its request for a preliminary injunction challenging the designation.
Wilke stated that the AfD increasingly aims to dismantle the democratic state and its institutions. “Despite repeatedly denying it, prominent figures within the party openly reveal this trajectory through their statements” he said, adding that authorities will not rely on appeals to reason to dissuade supporters of the party.
Peters described the AfD Brandenburg as exhibiting a high degree of xenophobia and, in parts, racism. He asserted that the party promotes an ethnocultural understanding of national identity which excludes and discriminates against individuals. “Furthermore, there are serious statements by AfD officials that are a direct challenge to democracy and its core principle of a free democratic basic order” he explained. The classification document, he affirmed, demonstrates the Brandenburg branch’s violations of human dignity and democratic principles.
The designation now permits increased use of intelligence gathering methods targeting the party. However, the Interior Ministry emphasized that not all AfD members are automatically classifiable as extremists, nor are voters who support the party necessarily extremist themselves.
