The Berlin Spectator
Ultimate magazine theme for WordPress.

Germany: Most Extremist ‘AfD’ Faction Monitored by Domestic Intelligence

Germany’s Office of Constitution Protection is now looking into the activities of the so called ‘Flügel’, the most radical faction in the extremist right-wing party ‘AfD’. From now on, the group will be observed.

Organizations or groups that oppose Germany’s Liberal Democratic Basic Order and the country’s constitution, will have the Office of Constitution Protection on its tail. This is what is now happening to the ‘Flügel’ or ‘Wing’, the most extremist faction in the ‘Alternative für Deutschland’ (AfD), a radical right-wing party which says it was part of the “civic center”.

‘Extremist Ambitions’

Thomas Haldenwang heads the Constitution Protection. He announced the news on Thursday, saying the new classification of the ‘AfD’s right wing as an observation case was “a warning to all enemies of democracy”. The decision means that the ‘Wing’ may be observed by the intelligence service without legal restrictions and that it might even be banned.

Haldenwang’s office believes the faction has “extremist ambitions”. There are two men the authority will have its eyes and ears on in particular. One of them is Björn Höcke (see main photo above), the spokesman for the ‘AfD’ in Thuringia and its floor leader at the state parliament in Erfurt. He is known for scandalous quotes even the original Nazis would have approved.

Opposed to Liberal-Democratic Order

The other ‘AfD’ personality the Constitution Protection is observing is Höcke’s Brandenburg colleague Andreas Kalbitz. He has a history of participating in events organized by right-wing extremist organizations and the same mindset. “Both individuals are right-wing extremists”, Thomas Haldenwang stated on Thursday.

He said the ‘Wing’ was opposed to Germany’s Liberal-Democratic Order and the human dignity guaranteed to everyone in the country’s constitution. Other observers believe there is a fluent transition between the ‘Wing’ and the rest of the ‘AfD’, also because the party leadership keeps on defening the faction. Alexander Gauland, the ‘AfD’s floor leader at the Berlin Bundestag called Höcke a “man of the center”.

Democracy Fought from Within

“Today we know democracies can fail when they are being fought from within by their enemies”, Haldenweg said today. He was referring to the seizure of power by Adolf Hitler and the Nazis in 1933.

The authorities believe the ‘Flügel’ might have around 7,000 supporters. They might now hire informants who will try to observe the extremist group from within, and they will watch their every move from the outside. There is only one restriction: By law, any quotes by members of the Bundestag or state parliaments may not be included in the files the Constitution Protection will generate.

Just before the announcement, ‘Wing’ members had tried to distance themselves from their own quotes. For instance, Hans-Thomas Tillschneider, a member of the ‘AfD’s caucus in the state parliament of Saxony-Anhalt, and a ‘Wing’ supporter, said he would not compare Islam to a bracket fungus anymore.

Related article: ‘AfD’: Germany’s Wolf in Sheep’s Clothes

By the way: The publication you are reading, The Berlin Spectator, was established in January of 2019. We have worked a whole lot, as you can see. But there has hardly been any income. This is something we urgently need to change. Would you consider contributing? We would be very thankful. Our donations page can be found here.

error: Content is protected !!