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Thuringia Interior Minister Warns AfD Government in Saxony-Anhalt Could Endanger Infrastructure

From Die Zeit · () German

Translated from German and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Thuringia Interior Minister Georg Maier warned that an AfD-led government in Saxony-Anhalt could allow sensitive security information to reach Russia.
  • Maier said critical infrastructure, espionage defenses and informants could face risks if the AfD took control of the state interior ministry.
  • Green lawmaker Irene Mihalic also accused the AfD of posing major security risks because of its alleged relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

A possible AfD government in Saxony-Anhalt could expose Germany’s critical infrastructure and security information to Russia, Thuringia Interior Minister Georg Maier warned.

Given the current attacks on our critical infrastructure, it would be fatal if investigation results from the security authorities leaked to Russia.

· Georg MaierThe Thuringia interior minister warned about the security consequences of an AfD role in government.

Speaking to Handelsblatt, Maier said it would be “fatal” if investigation results held by security authorities leaked to Russia amid what he described as current attacks on critical infrastructure. The AfD could win an absolute majority in the state election, according to the article.

Maier pointed to the party’s relationship with Russia and said the Russian government made no secret of viewing the AfD as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most important instrument for destabilizing Germany. He said the greatest risk would involve counterespionage and warned that an AfD interior minister could gain access to sensitive information.

The Russian government makes no secret of the fact that the AfD is Putin’s most important instrument for destabilizing Germany.

· Georg MaierMaier described the party’s relationship with Russia.

He also raised concerns about intelligence on the AfD’s partly violent far-right environment. If such information became public or reached extremists, sources could be exposed and informants placed in danger, he said. Maier argued that authorities should restrict the Saxony-Anhalt Office for the Protection of the Constitution from accessing the information, a step he said was legally possible and had already been used within Germany’s intelligence system.

This primarily concerns counterespionage.

· Georg MaierHe identified counterespionage as the main area of risk.

Green parliamentary manager Irene Mihalic issued a similar warning. She called the AfD a willing instrument of Putin’s hybrid attack on Germany and said officials had to assume the party would pass on strictly confidential information and access without hesitation.

In my assessment, the AfD is a willing instrument of Putin’s hybrid large-scale attack on our country.

· Irene MihalicThe Green lawmaker warned against an AfD government role in Saxony-Anhalt.
About this summary

Originally published by Die Zeit in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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