German authorities want to restrict Saxony-Anhalt's access to classified information about Russia – NYT

German authorities are preparing to restrict Saxony-Anhalt’s access to sensitive intelligence data following the “Alternative for Germany” party’s election victory. Officials in Berlin fear that classified information could fall into the hands of Russia. The New York Times reported this, citing German and foreign officials.

Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the German military developed a contingency plan for a Russian attack in Eastern Europe, unofficially codenamed “Oplan.” In the September elections in Saxony-Anhalt, the AfD won 43.8% of the vote and is currently in negotiations to form a government. In light of this, federal authorities are discussing restricting the region’s access to information about Russia, Russian operations in Europe, and materials about the party itself.

Since the party has been designated “far-right extremist” at the federal level, it is under surveillance by intelligence agencies, and officials in Berlin fear that undercover agents might be exposed. Poland and the Scandinavian countries have also expressed concern about possible leaks of information to Russia. For his part, AfD representative York Herrmann called the potential restrictions undemocratic and stated his intention to challenge them in court.

Source: The New York Times.

The German Ministry of Defense is considering restricting the government of the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt’s access to a classified contingency plan for war or other large-scale crises if the region is led by the far-right party “Alternative for Germany” (AfD).

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel commented on the election results in Saxony-Anhalt, where the far-right party “Alternative for Germany” (AfD) achieved significant success. The CDU representative called the situation in the country historically significant.