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Hans-Christoph Berndt, parliamentary group leader of the AfD Brandenburg
Photo: Soeren Stache / dpa
The Brandenburg AfD state parliamentary group employs several employees with reference to organizations that are classified as right-wing extremists by the protection of the constitution. The AfD parliamentary group confirmed the names of several employees on Thursday, about whom the "Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (rbb)" reported and wrote about a right-wing extremist background. Among other things, it concerns an employee who is connected to the Identitarian Movement, someone with a connection to the "Institute for State Policy", a member of the "Junge Alternative" and an employee who had previously run for the NPD. An external employee who advises the parliamentary group was also formerly a member of the »Heimattreuen Deutschen Jugend«.
"We reject the classification as right-wing extremist for the Identitarian Movement, the IfS and the Young Alternative," said AfD parliamentary group leader Hans-Christoph Berndt on request. His view is in disagreement with the classification of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution: “Those named are not extremists. If they were extremists, we would part with them. "
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution counted the Identitarian Movement and the "Institute for State Policy" by Götz Kubitschek among right-wing extremist actors of the New Right in 2020.
The youth organization Junge Alternative was classified as a suspected right-wing extremist case by the Federal Office in 2019.
The »Heimattreue Deutsche Jugend« was banned in 2009.
The NPD, the »Heimattreue Deutsche Jugend« and the Identitarian Movement are on the AfD's list of incompatibilities.
The employee of the AfD parliamentary group who ran for the NPD was and is not an NPD member according to the parliamentary group.
The left-wing member of the state parliament Andrea Johlige wrote on Twitter: "It is becoming increasingly clear that the AfD parliamentary group in Brandenburg is firmly embedded in the network of organized right-wing extremism in Germany and Europe."
The rbb editorial offices for Brandenburg State Policy and rbb24 Recherche spoke of at least ten activists from different right-wing extremist groups in the parliamentary group, including those with previous references.
The Brandenburg AfD was classified as a suspected right-wing extremist case by the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution in 2020.
The parliamentary group leader Berndt heads the "Zukunft Heimat" association, which is classified as right-wing extremist by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
Former AfD state and parliamentary leader Andreas Kalbitz also belongs to the parliamentary group.
The federal arbitration court had confirmed the cancellation of his membership by the federal executive committee.
Kalbitz is said to have concealed earlier memberships with the Republicans and the now forbidden »German Youth Loyal to Home«.
nek / dpa