German parliament blocks security passes for AfD staff over extremist concerns

Germany’s parliament has refused security clearances for at least four employees of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, citing concerns they could engage in anti-constitutional activities.

“For all rejected applicants, it appeared possible that access to parliament premises with a building pass could be misused for anti-constitutional purposes,” the Bundestag administration said in a statement. It added there were “concrete indications” that such activities could undermine the functioning and security of parliament.

An AfD parliamentary group spokesperson told the newspaper Die Zeit that three staff members were denied new access passes, while a fourth lost their IT system authorisation.

The move comes amid heightened scrutiny of AfD’s ties to extremist networks. In 2022, former AfD lawmaker Birgit Malsack-Winkemann was arrested alongside other members of the far-right group “Patriotic Union.” Prosecutors said the network, which included ex-military and police officers, plotted violent attacks, the kidnapping of politicians, and even a storming of parliament to overthrow the government.

The AfD, which has surged in opinion polls in recent months, is already under surveillance by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency in several regions for suspected extremism. Party leaders deny allegations of anti-constitutional activity and accuse authorities of political bias.

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