Sachsens Innenminister Armin Schuster expresses skepticism towards a potential ban against the AfD. The Christian Democrat told “Der Spiegel” that in such a process, the aggressive-fighter orientation of the party must be proven. “We need evidence that the party is actively planning a coup, possibly even with violence. Currently, we do not see sufficient evidence for this” said Schuster.
At the same time, the minister sees little room to penalize AfD members in the state service. “We do not know the party memberships of our employees” he said. This is also desirable. He would not act differently even with a far-right party: “Otherwise, we would be dealing with the radical decree from the 1970s or with an arbitrary belief check. I do not want to imagine that.”
In contrast, he sees more potential for scrutiny in security-sensitive areas, where more detailed checks are conducted. In dealing with the AfD, Schuster relies on political work. “I believe that we have better chances on this path than through political ban discussions, which are currently not legally viable” said the Saxon Minister of the Interior.