The Bundestag has lifted the immunity of the AfD MP and federal chairman of the “Junge Alternative”, Hannes Gnauck. Background are after ARD-Information statements made during his time in the Bundeswehr.
The Bundestag has lifted the immunity of AfD MP Hannes Gnauck because of disciplinary proceedings in the Bundeswehr. According to information from the, the reason for the internal investigation is: ARD capital studiosthat Gnauck is said to have agitated against asylum seekers and foreigners during his time in the Bundeswehr. The Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD), the Bundeswehr’s secret service, classified it as a “suspected case of right-wing extremism” in 2020. Gnauck is federal chairman of the “Junge Alternative”.
MAD classified Gnauck as an extremist
The Bundeswehr therefore banned him from wearing uniform and from serving. In 2021 he was finally classified as an extremist by the MAD. The disciplinary proceedings had been suspended since he entered the Bundestag in 2021. In order to carry out judicial disciplinary proceedings, an MP’s immunity must be lifted. Why this is happening now is still unclear.
The AfD politician announced via the Brandenburg regional association in the evening: “I offered the President of the Bundestag in writing weeks ago to lift my immunity and thus eliminate the allegations that were being raised.” According to Gnauck, Bundestag President Bärbel Bas (SPD) then said “that this step was not necessary at all.”
Gnauck himself sees a connection with the EU election
Gnauck suspects a connection with the upcoming European elections: “Now, shortly before the EU elections, for no apparent reason, my immunity is being lifted in order to enable investigations into a procedure that has now been suspended for three years due to my mandate in the Bundestag.” His employment relationship was suspended and the justification for the waiver of immunity was “incomprehensible and extremely questionable”. He goes on to speak of “a campaign against the AfD that has been raging for weeks.” He has nothing to blame himself for.
The 32-year-old from Uckermark in Brandenburg entered the Bundestag via the state list for the AfD. Since October 2022, he has been federal chairman of the “Junge Alternative”, the AfD’s “safe right-wing extremist” youth organization, according to the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. The fact that the AfD parliamentary group sent Gnauck as a representative to the Defense Committee in the Bundestag caused an uproar. The committee controls the Ministry of Defense and meets secretly.
Second immunity waiver in one day
The Bundestag had previously lifted the immunity of AfD MP Petr Bystron. The Munich Public Prosecutor’s Office had begun investigations into initial suspicions of bribery and money laundering and searched several objects that were associated with Bystron.