Alice Weidel (l.) and Timo Chrupalla (r.) from the AfD: Chrupalla was seen celebrating in the Russian embassy two years ago.Image: keystone
The AfD is said to have questioned weaknesses in the German security system in a “targeted and grid-like” manner. That’s what Germany’s head of the defense committee says. The right-wing extremist party is suspected of passing on the sensitive information.
November 6, 2025, 12:51 p.mNovember 6, 2025, 1:10 p.m
“For some time now we have been observing with increasing concern that the AfD is abusing the parliamentary right to ask questions to specifically investigate our critical infrastructure,” explained Thuringia’s Interior Minister Georg Maier from the SPD to the Mirror (Subscription) two weeks ago.
Specifically, it is about a noticeable accumulation of so-called “small inquiries” in the Thuringian state parliament. There, the AfD demanded details on military transport, drone defense, water and energy supplies, transport infrastructure and digital infrastructure, civil protection and health care equipment and the activities of the Bundeswehr. Loud Mirror There are 58 such small inquiries in Thuringia alone.
The World (Abo) reports that, among other things, the activities of the Thuringian AfD backbencher Ringo Mühlmann particularly worrying be. He was very specifically interested in details about “sensor technology, signal processing and positioning technology” that are necessary for defending against drones. But that’s not all. The former police spokesman was also particularly interested in military transport through Thuringia. In addition to Mühlmann, state parliament member Nadine Hoffmann also made a conspicuous appearance. Their attention was focused on water systems and dams, which are used by the fire department in emergencies.
Ringo Mühlmann in the Thuringian state parliament.Image: own work
In Germany, inquiries are a political instrument for obtaining written information from the government about a specific issue. This gives Parliament a control instrument for the work of the executive. In July of this year, the result of such a request went viral. The AfD called for a list of the most common first names of social benefit recipients (citizen benefit). Michael, Andreas, Thomas, Daniel, Olena and Alexander took first to sixth place. The result was commented on mockingly on so-called social media by “content creators” with a migration background.
The current discussion gives less cause for laughter. Again and again AfD members cuddle up to Mother Russia and frequent the embassy as if it were their second home. So it is not surprising that the AfD was also active in the Bundestag. Inquiries are said to have arrived there which “could not be explained by a justified interest in asking questions for the purpose of parliamentary control of the government,” said CDU politician Röwekamp.
The chairman of the AfD parliamentary group in the Thuringian state parliament, Björn Höcke.Image: Sean Gallup/Getty Images
The suspected AfD denies it. Hoffmann called the allegations “grotesque,” while the criminally convicted right-wing extremist Björn Höcke, parliamentary group leader of the Thuringian AfD, described the allegations as “a dig into the mothballs of the Cold War.” Nevertheless, the inquiries were so suspicious that the problem was discussed in the Bundestag yesterday. There was no evidence presented by the prosecutors. This leads to additional accusations. Green Parliamentary Secretary Irene Mihalic called the accused party a “Trojan horse for the Kremlin’s interests.” Marc Heinrichmann from the CDU’s choice of words was even more hearty. He accused the right-wing extremist AfD of tolerating a “sleeper cell loyal to Russia” in its ranks.
As before, the AfD rejected all allegations as “embarrassing and malicious”. “If there was anything to it, you would have locked us up long ago,” AfD MP Markus Frohnmaier leaned out of the window. Even if the evidence fuels suspicion: As long as nothing is proven, the presumption of innocence also applies in the German constitutional state.
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