The Bavarian state government has officially added the AfD to its register of extremist and extremist-influenced organizations. However, this decision does not automatically disqualify applicants; each case will be individually reviewed.
The Bavarian cabinet decided to include the AfD in the “Register of Extremist and Extremist-Influenced Organizations.” State Chancellery Chief Florian Herrmann (CSU) explained in Munich that this was “a clear and important signal.” He emphasized that Bavaria consistently monitors the loyalty of its civil servants to the constitution, covering both left-wing and right-wing extremist tendencies.
As Herrmann clarified, applicants for public sector jobs in Bavaria must now declare any membership in the AfD. Whether or not they are hired will depend on an individual assessment. There is no general exclusion for AfD members. For those who are already civil servants or public sector employees, this inclusion in the register will have no effect.
Nearly 200 Organizations Listed
The register includes around 200 organizations associated with various forms of extremism—groups from both the far-left and far-right, as well as Islamist and other radical movements. Among those listed are the German Communist Party, anarchist groups, the Identitarian Movement, the NPD, and Islamist networks such as the Muslim Brotherhood and Al-Qaeda.
As Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) pointed out, applicants are generally required to disclose whether they are or have been members of, or have supported, any of the listed organizations. Relevant findings from the Bavarian Office for the Protection of the Constitution may also be considered when assessing an applicant’s loyalty to the constitutional order.
Just this February, the Bavarian Ministry of Education temporarily barred left-wing activist Lisa Poettinger from starting her teacher training at a Bavarian school. The ministry expressed serious doubts about the 28-year-old’s constitutional loyalty, assigning her to the far-left spectrum. Poettinger strongly rejected this assessment.
Case-by-Case Examination of Constitutional Loyalty
According to Interior Minister Herrmann, the decision to list the AfD in the register was largely based on recent observations from the Bavarian Office for the Protection of the Constitution. So far, there has been no noticeable decline in extremist tendencies within the party. With this step, Bavaria has gained an effective tool for assessing constitutional loyalty when hiring new public servants.
“Enemies of the constitution have no place in public service,” Herrmann said. Civil servants and employees such as teachers, police officers, and judges bear special responsibility to the state and must reliably uphold the liberal democratic order. This, he added, also applies to all other public service employees.
AfD Criticizes the Decision
The Bavarian AfD state leader Stephan Protschka sharply condemned the government’s decision, calling it “an attack on the foundations of democracy.” He accused the government of deliberately trying to remove politically inconvenient opinions from public service.
AfD lawmaker and domestic policy spokesperson in the state parliament, Richard Graupner, also voiced strong criticism. He argued that the government had effectively equated the AfD with terrorist organizations such as Al-Qaeda, calling this a political scandal. The AfD parliamentary group intends to exhaust all legal options to contest this move. Graupner urged affected civil service candidates to contact the party for support.
Approval from SPD and Greens
The Social Democratic Party (SPD) in the state parliament welcomed the decision. Horst Arnold, the party’s legal policy spokesperson, described the step as “consistent and professionally justified.” He said the AfD openly displayed an anti-constitutional stance that was increasingly visible in society. Nevertheless, he noted that mere membership in the AfD did not automatically disqualify someone; what mattered was whether the applicant actively promoted extremist or discriminatory positions.
The Greens also supported the decision. For lawmaker Florian Siekmann, listing the AfD had been overdue. His parliamentary group had already demanded in May that public service be better protected against far-right influences.
Christian Lindinger of the Free Voters expressed his agreement as well. He said it was right and necessary to carefully scrutinize who was admitted to civil service. “Those who engage politically in a questionable manner have no place in the Free State’s public service,” Lindinger added.
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