“‘Great Exchange’ Summoned”
Head of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution follows up with AfD criticism
08/07/2023 10:38 am
During the European Party Congress, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution pledged not to comment critically on the AfD. After the end, Chief Haldenwang renewed his criticism: Some statements questioned the human dignity guarantee for some population groups.
After the AfD’s European election meeting, the President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Thomas Haldenwang, confirmed his assessment of the party. “In a number of statements, an ethnic understanding of the people is expressed, for example in which the ‘Great Exchange’ is conjured up,” he told ARD. “Such statements offer indications that the human dignity guarantee of the Basic Law for certain population groups is being questioned.”
The term “Great Exchange” is part of the vocabulary of the New Right and includes in particular the claim that the long-established population of Europe should be systematically replaced by immigrants from Africa, the Middle East and the Middle East. This often goes hand in hand with conspiracy stories.
Haldenwang said something similar after the first part of the party event about a week ago. He said that “various candidates for election had expressed right-wing extremist conspiracy theories”. On the other hand, the party defended itself in court with an urgent application and demanded an injunction. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution then committed itself in a “standstill agreement” to refraining from critical statements during the AfD European election meeting last weekend.
AfD had openly struck radical tones
Regarding the reasons, Haldenwang told the ARD: “The submission of a standstill commitment is a common procedure in such urgent proceedings in order to give the court sufficient time for a proper examination and decision.”
Haldenwang also spoke of fulfilling his legal mandate by informing the public. “As a means of a well-fortified democracy, this serves the purpose of informing the public about efforts and behavior that are directed against the free democratic basic order. In this way, such efforts can be countered in good time through social and political debate.”
Over the past two weekends, the AfD in Magdeburg had drawn up its list of candidates for the European elections. In their speeches, the applicants had repeatedly struck radical tones. A week ago, Haldenwang saw his assessment confirmed that there were strong anti-constitutional currents within the party whose influence would continue to increase. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution is processing the AfD as a so-called suspected right-wing extremist case.