Ulrich Silberbach, the president of the German Civil Service Association (DBB), has welcomed the statement made by Federal Minister of the Interior Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) that despite the recent classification of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) as “definitely right-wing extremist” there will be no blanket consequences for civil servants who are members of the party.
According to Silberbach, “The Federal Agency for the Protection of the Constitution has classified the Alternative for Germany as a definitely right-wing extremist movement.” This does not mean that civil servants who are members of the party will automatically be dismissed from their positions – at least until the Federal Constitutional Court bans the party. Instead, “in the case of any concrete misconduct, a review of the individual case is still required to determine any disciplinary consequences.”
For applicants who are members of the AfD, it is now much less likely to be hired into civil service positions, Silberbach added. “The prerequisite for this is a lasting commitment to the Free Democratic Basic Order. Whether this is given is increasingly being questioned by the employers, given the increasing radicalization of the AfD in recent years.