July 11, 2025 - 1:10pm
Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) members have been banned from public-sector roles by the regional government of Germany’s sixth most populous state. A new policy in Rhineland-Palatinate requires candidates to submit a written declaration of loyalty to the constitution, and to state that they have not been a member of an extremist organization in the last five years. Anyone who fails to pass this test will not be permitted to take up any public-sector role in the region.
The AfD is listed as an extremist group in Rhineland-Palatinate, thereby barring its members from jobs in the public sector under the new process. This includes civil servants, police officers and teachers. The changes have been brought forward by Social Democratic Party (SPD) regional Interior Minister Michael Ebling, and have immediately met with staunch criticism from AfD co-leader Alice Weidel.
Speaking to German tabloid Bild, Weidel claimed: “it is appalling that such discrimination against political opinion is taking place.” She also alleged that “basic democratic principles are being trampled upon here.” Ebling defended his actions, arguing that the Right-wing party had radicalized and no longer had a moderate wing.
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution’s classification of the party as extremist — pivotal in this case — has been a source of political tension ever since the body made its decision in May. The Federal Office explained its decision by saying that “the ethnicity- and ancestry-based understanding of the people prevailing within the party is incompatible with the free democratic order.”
This classification order was “paused” by the authorities after a lawsuit was filed by the AfD, and the party was then only put on a list of “suspected cases”. In this new case, the regional government in Rhineland-Palatinate has itself listed the AfD as an extremist organization, and thus the party’s members will contravene the application process. This action is not limited to new recruits. The local authorities say that for current employees it could “constitute a disciplinary offense” to be a member of the Right-wing party. Defending his decision, Ebling argued that “there must be no doubt that everyone who works for this state stands up for our constitution with conviction.”
In the last month, there has been more speculation about banning the AfD despite the fact it came second in this year’s federal elections. Academic Till Holterhus told CNN that the party’s size made the case for a ban even stronger, as it increased the danger the AfD poses to German democracy.
Like the previous decision at federal level, it is likely the AfD will fight this most recent move in the courts. Weidel remains defiant, and says her “voters will not be intimidated by this”.
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