exclusive
Head of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution Haldenwang sees no reason to withdraw his critical assessment of the AfD. In a series of statements, “an ethnic understanding of the people is expressed,” he said ARD.
The President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), Thomas Haldenwang, remains “unchanged” in his assessment even after the conclusion of the AfD European Election Assembly. “In a number of statements, an ethnic understanding of the people is expressed, for example by invoking the ‘Great Exchange’,” he said ARD Capital Studio. “Such statements offer indications that the human dignity guarantee of the Basic Law for certain population groups is being questioned.”
Haldenwang made a similar statement after the first weekend of the meeting. The AfD had taken legal action against it and, according to Haldenwang, wanted to prevent him from commenting on the party and the European election assembly now and in the future. As a result, he had given the Cologne administrative court a standstill promise for the duration of the meeting.
He explained this to the ARD Capital Studio So: “The submission of a standstill commitment is a common procedure in such urgent proceedings in order to give the court sufficient time for a proper examination and decision.”
Haldenwang sees a legal mandate
Haldenwang also spoke of fulfilling his legal mandate by informing the public. “As a means of a well-fortified democracy, this serves the purpose of informing the public about efforts and behavior that are directed against the free democratic basic order. In this way, such efforts can be countered in good time through social and political debate,” says Haldenwang.
Over the past two weekends, the AfD in Magdeburg had chosen its candidates for the European elections. In the application speeches, they had repeatedly struck radical tones. A week ago, Haldenwang saw his assessment confirmed that there were strong anti-constitutional currents within the party whose influence would continue to increase. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution is processing the AfD as a so-called suspected right-wing extremist case.