Former head of the authority
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution lists Maaßen as an “object of observation” – now he is threatened with a pension cut
Hans Georg Maaßen, here a photo from his time as President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, which lasted until 2018, is threatened with trouble. Several political voices are calling for legal consequences for him.
© Metodi Popow / Imago Images
After the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution classified its former president Hans-Georg Maaßen as a “object of observation”, calls are now being made to sanction him under official law.
On Wednesday it became known that the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution is said to have stored its former President Hans-Georg Maaßen in the internal intelligence information system. Namely in the area of right-wing extremism. This means that he is considered a so-called object of observation for the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, as the ARD magazine “Kontraste” first reported via X (formerly Twitter).
As a consequence of this classification, there is an increasing number of prominent voices calling for legal consequences for Maaßen. Such measures are easier than before thanks to the recently passed “Law to Accelerate Disciplinary Proceedings”. As a result, the requirements for loyalty to the constitution for political officials in temporary retirement – such as Maaßen – were tightened.
Federal Ministry of the Interior responsible for possible consequences against Hans-Georg Maaßen
However, the law will not come into force until April 1, 2024. It provides for consequences for political officials who do not commit themselves to the free-democratic basic order through their entire behavior. The Federal Ministry of the Interior is responsible for opening such proceedings.
“If the employer considers the anti-constitutional attitude to be proven, this usually results in removal from the employment relationship. And this is also accompanied by the loss of pension rights as a civil servant,” summarizes the constitutional lawyer Professor Ulrich Battis in an interview with the broadcaster RBB.
The SPD member of the Bundestag Ralf Stegner demanded in the “Handelsblatt”: “If the results of his surveillance by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution show that he himself has mutated into an enemy of the constitution, disciplinary proceedings against this top official with all possible consequences are essential.”
Green Party politician Konstantin von Notz also sees a need for action: “If a former head of such an important authority within the German security architecture slides into Islamism, left-wing extremism or right-wing extremism, this is undoubtedly an event that is relevant to security policy. The duties of loyalty under civil service law also go beyond the active employment relationship and continue to have an impact,” he told the Editorial Network Germany (RND).
Sources: Bundestag.de, RBB, “Handelsblatt”, RND