After the AfD’s European election meeting, the President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Thomas Haldenwang, confirmed his assessment of the party. “In a number of statements, an ethnic understanding of the people is expressed, for example in which the “Great Exchange” is conjured up,” he told the ARD capital studio. “Such statements offer indications that the human dignity guarantee of the Basic Law for certain population groups is being questioned.”
Haldenwang said something similar after the first part of the party event about a week ago. He said that “various candidates for election had expressed right-wing extremist conspiracy theories”. On the other hand, the party defended itself in court with an urgent application and demanded an injunction. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution then committed itself in a “standstill agreement” to refraining from critical statements during the AfD European election meeting last weekend.
Regarding the reasons, Haldenwang told the ARD: “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 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.”
A party conference of the AfD had determined the candidates for the European elections in 2024 and decided on the election program over the past two weekends in Magdeburg.
