North Rhine-Westphalia Interior Minister Herbert Reul has expressed alarm regarding the potential for the AfD to secure a regional governing role following the elections in Saxony-Anhalt. Speaking to the “Stern” the CDU politician criticized the party, asserting that the AfD’s conception of governing is based on “followers rather than professionals”. Reul’s strong reaction followed a weekend report detailing the party’s alleged preparations. He stressed that such involvement is not only constitutionally unacceptable but also poses a significant threat to public security, particularly during times of hybrid threats and Russian influence. Reul argued that instead of building a functional state apparatus run by experts, the AfD appears to be initiating an attack on internal security.
While some state interior ministers had recently called for contingency plans, these concerns face political dissent. Bavaria’s Interior Minister, Joachim Herrmann (CSU), dismissed discussions about “what if” scenarios as misplaced. He insisted that all democratic parties must focus on running a coherent, strong electoral campaign over the next three months to ensure the AfD fails to gain a majority in Saxony-Anhalt. Herrmann added that since the majority of voters remain undecided, the priority must be ensuring a clear mandate for democratic forces through good policy.
Meanwhile, Green Bundestag MP Konstantin von Notz raised serious concerns directly related to the political vacuum. The interior expert warned that extremists seeking power not only question fundamental democratic principles but also jeopardize future collaboration in internal security matters. As vice-chairman of the parliamentary control body, von Notz pointed to “glaring dangers for future information exchange” among various agencies, as well as with European and international partners. He cautioned that if extremists were involved in state governments, the flow of crucial information could significantly diminish. Von Notz cited a concrete example from the European context, drawing parallels to the recent right-wing FPÖ government in Austria, when partners suspended cooperation due to concerns over the party’s close ties to Russia and the potential leakage of confidential data.
