Rainer Robra, the Head of the State Chancellery of Saxony-Anhalt and a CDU member, is categorically opposing the prospect of federal restrictions on information sharing should the AfD come into power. Speaking to Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland, he argued that it is unimaginable how the legally required cooperation between states could function if Saxony-Anhalt were excluded from internal or defense policy information. He added that in a defense scenario, the Federal Council must be involved, and Saxony-Anhalt’s participation in every instance must remain unrestricted. Fundamentally, Robra issued a warning that Germany cannot navigate the current crisis by increasing “exclusion and decreasing the humble respect for citizens’ decisions,” asserting that such actions would only drive more people into the arms of the AfD.
Discussions concerning these issues are already underway among the Federal and state interior ministers, as well as the domestic intelligence agencies. According to information obtained by RND, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) is now considering retrieving the highly classified “OPLAN Deutschland” from the Saxony-Anhalt State Chancellery to ensure it does not fall into AfD hands if they assume government power. He communicated this intention to defense policy experts from the coalition factions earlier on Tuesday morning.
OPLAN Deutschland, a comprehensive document spanning over 1,000 pages, contains the core provisions for state and alliance defense in the event of a crisis or war. Political leaders anticipate that this plan is most likely to be triggered by a confrontation with Russia. Should this occur, Germany would function as a critical hub for NATO and its troops heading toward the alliance’s eastern flank. The full version of the plan is held by the state chanceries, with local municipalities only possessing a stripped-down version.
When asked by a journalist whether the Ministry of Defense would limit information access to an AfD-led state government in Saxony-Anhalt, a ministry spokesperson declined to comment directly. However, she added a general disclaimer, noting that OPLAN Deutschland is classified as secret and is, by its nature, handled in a very restrictive manner.
