Germany plans to restrict Saxony-Anhalt’s access to secret defense plan against Russia after AfD’s election win

The German government is preparing to limit the access of authorities in Saxony-Anhalt to a highly classified Bundeswehr plan aimed at defending against a potential Russian attack in Eastern Europe, according to a report in The New York Times. This decision comes after the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party secured 44% of the vote in the recent state election and is now in the process of forming a coalition government in Saxony-Anhalt.

The 1,000-page document, prepared in 2024, is currently accessible to authorities from all 16 German states. However, Berlin is concerned that the AfD, known for its right-wing extremist views, might share the sensitive military intelligence with Russia. Officials are also considering restricting Saxony-Anhalt's access to intelligence on Russian subversive activity in Europe and investigations into far-right groups, including the AfD itself.

The AfD branch in Saxony-Anhalt has been officially classified as "right-wing extremist" by German law enforcement authorities and is under surveillance, including by undercover agents. Germany's allies, such as Poland and some Nordic countries, have expressed concerns about the possibility of the AfD leaking sensitive information to Moscow.

The German Defense Ministry is currently assessing which information needs to be protected, and AfD spokesperson Jork Herrmann has dismissed allegations of withholding intelligence as "undemocratic and impossible to justify to voters." Defense Minister Boris Pistorius had previously promised not to share military intelligence with an AfD-led government.