German police say AfD membership incompatible with service

Amid rising concerns over sabotage and espionage, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has called for increased use of artificial intelligence in national security.

“We must enhance our technical, legal and organizational capabilities in Germany,” he told the Funke Media Group.

“Artificial intelligence must be used more extensively than before in the intelligence services to defend against hybrid threats,” Dobrindt said.

According to the minister, hybrid threats involving sabotage and espionage are constantly increasing.

Dobrindt said the government strongly feels the impact of the growing number of attacks on infrastructure, including civilian facilities such as energy grids and rail networks, as well as military sites such as barracks.

The minister added that the government would allocate “substantial financial resources” to strengthen the defense mechanisms of Germany’s security agencies.

The Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig is set to hear a case regarding the ban on the right-wing extremist magazine Compact.

In August, the Federal Administrative Court temporarily lifted the ban on the magazine, which was issued by Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD).

The court expressed particular doubts about the ban’s proportionality. This allowed the magazine, which was based in Brandenburg at the time, to resume publication under certain conditions.

The Interior Ministry first banned Compact  in mid-July, describing the publication as a “central mouthpiece of the right-wing extremist scene.”

In response, Compact filed a lawsuit and an urgent motion against the immediate enforcement of the ban.

The final decision is now pending in the main proceedings.

Germany’s Federal Police Commissioner Uli Grötsch has voiced disapproval regarding police officers’ membership in the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Grötsch called it “incompatible” with serving in law enforcement.

“AfD membership and working as a police officer are incompatible,” Grötsch told the Rheinische Post newspaper.

Grötsch also said that officers who demonstrate clear commitment to the AfD should be dismissed. 

“For me, commitment means openly supporting the party, running for local or city council or even for the Bundestag,” he added.

In early May, Germany’s domestic intelligence agency classified the AfD as a “confirmed right-wing extremist” organization.

Grötsch pointed to this decision, saying there was concrete evidence that the party threatened Germany’s free democratic order.

However, the agency suspended the classification while the AfD pursues legal action. The agency will continue to treat the party as a “suspected” extremist case pending a ruling from the Cologne administrative court.

Guten Tag! DW is bringing you updates from across Germany, where The top police official has spoken out against law enforcement officers’ affiliation with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

Meanwhile, the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig is set to hear a case regarding the ban on the right-wing extremist magazine Compact.

We’ll have the latest headlines, analyses, multimedia content, and DW’s on-the-ground reporting on all things Germany.