Federal Education Minister Karin Prien (CDU) has issued a stern warning to a potential AfD-led government in Saxony-Anhalt, threatening legal intervention and demanding the return of federal funds if the state proposes too radical changes to education policy.
Prien stated that if any changes violate the Federal Basic Law-for example, the principle of equal treatment-the federal government could intervene through constitutional complaints. Furthermore, she highlighted the federal government’s financial leverage, noting that since numerous federal programs support the states in education, the Bund can reclaim funds if a state fails to adhere to the agreed purposes, asserting that legal action would be used to enforce such demands.
The minister also cautioned about the consequences for the recognition of school qualifications and diplomas obtained in Saxony-Anhalt by students in other federal states. While acknowledging that education is primarily a state matter, allowing regional governments to define structures and curricula autonomously, Prien stressed that this autonomy has boundaries. She warned that if an AfD government moved too far away from a basic consensus in educational policy, it would risk having its school qualifications rejected across the rest of Germany. The Federal Ministers Conference closely monitors this situation.
Prien expressed deep concern regarding the potential for the AfD to take power, especially since the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution has classified the party in Saxony-Anhalt as reliably right-wing extremist. The AfD’s electoral program for the state includes plans such as abolishing compulsory schooling, segregating refugee children into separate classes, and eliminating school inclusion. Drawing on historical experience, the CDU politician, who comes from a Jewish family, emphasized that culture and education are traditional focal points for right-wing extremist parties attempting to propagate their ideology.
