display
Magdeburg (dpa / sa) - After reports of an AfD observation by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution in Saxony-Anhalt, Interior Minister Michael Richter has criticized the fact that secret information has become public.
It was “extremely annoying” that information had come out from a meeting of the parliamentary control committee that took place on Monday, the CDU politician said at a press conference in Magdeburg on Tuesday.
The committee meets secretly and its members must keep the findings from this round to themselves.
Against this background, Richter asked for your understanding that he did not comment on an intelligence service observation of the state AfD.
The “Mitteldeutsche Zeitung” had previously reported that the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution has been monitoring the AfD in the country as a general association with intelligence resources since January 12, and also referred to the fact that the development was discussed in the parliamentary control committee.
According to state law, this is possible if the authority has enough factual evidence that it is an anti-constitutional effort.
display
The state AfD wrongly sees itself in focus and, according to party leader Martin Reichardt, called a special session for the evening.
The aim is to discuss whether the regional association will take legal action against the decisions.
"Here the protection of the constitution is being used to pull out all the stops against us in the election year," said Reichardt, formulating an accusation that has often been made by AfD functionaries.
Saxony-Anhalt elects a new state parliament in June, Germany a new Bundestag in autumn.
Interior Minister Richter countered: If there are relevant findings, a reaction must be taken.
"Then even an election date is certainly not an obstacle."
Saxony-Anhalt's Prime Minister Reiner Haseloff (CDU) sees it similarly.
A state government and associated authorities would have to fulfill their tasks “regardless of election dates and the season,” he said.
"And if there are findings that encourage and force action, then the findings really have to be used as a basis."
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210126-99-179833 / 2
display
Report of the Mitteldeutsche Zeitung on the classification of the state AfD by the protection of the constitution
Tweet of the AfD parliamentary group vice-president in the Siegmund state parliament on the subject
Constitutional Protection Act of the State of Saxony-Anhalt