Hessian Prime Minister Boris Rhein (CDU) warned that should the Alternative for Germany (AfD) come to power in any of Germany’s sixteen states, the way the states collaborate would have to change. He told the Funke‑Media podcast “Meine schwerste Entscheidung” (Thursday editions) that the exchange of information would no longer function “the way it does now”.
Already, state leaders are thinking through such a scenario: it is hypothetical at the moment, but “you have to consider what happens if one does come to power” Rhein said. “How do we handle it? That is the question that must be asked. It would be reckless not to think about it”.
In the event of an AfD‑led government, he said the states would have to scrutinise very carefully how they deal with security‑related information that is normally shared among them. They would need to assess “which information can be used and which cannot”.
When asked whether cross‑state investigations of far‑right criminals would still be possible under such a regime, Rhein answered affirmatively. He said the police are well prepared and can operate largely independently of state governments, thereby guaranteeing such cooperation.