Thuringia’s Interior Minister Georg Maier has launched a scathing critique of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, accusing them of systematically undermining the foundations of German democracy. In an interview with “Welt” Maier warned of a looming crisis, asserting, “The AfD’s strategy is to destroy democracy from within. We are sleepwalking into a disaster if we don’t wake up and recognize the destructive force that the AfD represents.
Maier’s harshest criticism was directed at the AfD’s controversial “remigration” concept, which he described as a plan for the deportation of German citizens deemed outside the party’s definition of the “national community”. He labeled this concept a violation of human dignity. He specifically addressed comments from Thuringia AfD leader Björn Höcke, who has publicly advocated for the expansion of the Erfurt airport to serve as a “remigration hub” and the implications of Höcke’s suggestion that approximately 20% of the population-roughly mirroring the proportion of people with migrant backgrounds-could be “dispensed with.
Maier contends that the hardening of the AfD’s ideology is being actively supported by party leadership. He pointed to AfD co-leader Alice Weidel’s increasing public alignment with Höcke’s position, suggesting a deliberate escalation of the party’s radical stance. Anticipating the upcoming federal party conference in Erfurt, Maier predicted a further consolidation of power within the AfD, with potentially far-reaching consequences for the political landscape.
Concerns extend beyond the ideological agenda, with Maier also highlighting a surge in security-related inquiries from AfD parliamentarians in the Thuringian state legislature. He noted that over the past year, the AfD has submitted “well over a thousand inquiries with over ten thousand sub-questions” frequently without subsequent parliamentary processing. While dismissing any suggestion of illegal information procurement or espionage, Maier expressed deep suspicion over the motives behind the constant demand for sensitive data. “The question is: what are they doing with it? Who benefits from it?” he asked.
Reiterating his previous calls for a legal process potentially leading to a ban on the AfD, Maier asserted that the necessary conditions are now met. He pointed out that a prior parliamentary motion to ban the party fell short by only 47 votes within the Bundestag. He also suggested a growing consensus for a ban within the conservative Union, indicating a realization of the severity of the situation among a wider range of political actors. Maier’s statements reflect a growing alarm within the German political establishment regarding the AfD’s trajectory and its potential threat to democratic norms and institutions.