The Bundestag prohibits several employees of the AfD party from entering the parliament
A number of employees associated with the AfD parliamentary group have been banned from entering the Bundestag due to security concerns. According to the Bundestag administration, the decision was made because their presence could be exploited for "anti-constitutional" purposes. The restrictions include not only physical access to the parliament building but also extend to its electronic systems.
The administration did not specify the exact number of cases, but it confirmed that the employees are linked to members of the AfD party. A spokesperson for the AfD parliamentary group explained that three of the party's MPs' staff had their requests for access cards rejected, while another employee was denied access to the internal Bundestag network and its electronic services.
The parliamentary group of the AfD pointed out that hiring personal staff is solely the responsibility of the deputies themselves, meaning that the party cannot intervene in these cases. At the same time, reports indicate that none of the staff of other parliamentary groups have been affected by these restrictions so far.
The President of the Bundestag, Julia Klöckner from the Christian Democratic Union, defended these measures, emphasizing the importance of protecting the parliament from internal and external threats. She stressed that the Bundestag must remain open to the public, but at the same time, it must be fortified against risks that threaten the democratic system.
Kloepner added that the decision was based on the seriousness and recurrence of the identified security risks. She emphasized that no compromises can be made when it comes to protecting the Bundestag and the democratic institutions it represents.