Potsdam (dpa) - The right-wing national "wing" in the AfD will, according to Brandenburg's AfD state and faction leader Andreas Kalbitz, meet the demand of the party leadership for dissolution.
"We will also follow expectations," said Kalbitz in Potsdam. "We will implement the federal executive board decision." Since the wing is an informal interest group, one can "shred no member lists that do not exist". "So that will be measured by the activities and external appearances," announced Kalbitz. Along with founder Björn Höcke, he is one of the most prominent representatives of the "wing".
The Office for the Protection of the Constitution had declared the "wing" to be an object of observation. He classifies it as an extreme right-wing effort. The group is considered a powerful network within the party.
In a decision, the AfD federal executive had asked for a statement that the informal association "Flügel" would dissolve by April 30. After that, Thuringia's AfD chief Höcke had declared that he did not want to seek confrontation now. Kalbitz said he personally believed that the demand for the rapid implementation of the dissolution of the "wing" would increase the risk that "the whole party would come under the protection of the constitution".
Kalbitz rejected the fact that he had previously been a member of the now-forbidden German Youth (HDJ). There is a "Spiegel" report on the question of its membership, which relies on an internal report by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. Kalbitz said: "This (...) is so wrong." He has published an unequivocal statement on this. Kalbitz requested information from the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. If the authority does not meet the request for information, he will sue. The right-wing extremist group HDJ is on the AfD's incompatibility list. Someone who was a member there may not be an AfD member.
