Amy Mek
In an unapologetic speech, Beatrix von Storch, Deputy Leader of the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) delivered a scathing indictment of Germany’s so-called “Office for the Protection of the Constitution” (Verfassungsschutz) and its leaders, Thomas Haldenwang and Stephan Kramer. Her message was clear: the current state of Germany’s domestic intelligence apparatus is not protecting democracy but threatening it.
The Verfassungsschutz is a domestic intelligence agency tasked with safeguarding Germany’s constitutional order against threats such as “extremism.” However, in recent years, this office has been weaponized by Germany’s left-wing establishment to target political opponents, particularly the AfD—the country’s only conservative party that challenges the ruling elite’s policies on immigration, national sovereignty, and cultural identity. The term “extremism” has been increasingly politicized, used not to counter real threats but to delegitimize dissenting voices of the communist revolution the German state is enacting.
Much like classically liberal or restorative movements in other Western democracies, the AfD represents a significant challenge to the status quo. Von Storch’s speech highlighted how Germany’s intelligence agencies, once tasked with protecting democratic values, have been transformed into tools of suppression—stifling opposition and eroding the democratic principles they are supposed to defend.
The Weaponization of the Verfassungsschutz
Beatrix von Storch addressed what she called the “inconsiderate instrumentalization” of the Verfassungsschutz for political gain. According to her, Haldenwang and Kramer embody a deeply entrenched system of abuse where state resources are used not to safeguard constitutional values but to suppress legitimate political opposition.
“The Merkel government decided to use the domestic intelligence service as a weapon against the AfD,” she declared, driving home the point that the institution’s priorities have been warped by partisan interests. “The so-called constitutional protection in its current form does not protect democracy; it is a danger to democracy,” she added. Von Storch argued that the Verfassungsschutz has become a partisan weapon to discredit and undermine the AfD, the only party truly challenging Germany’s ruling elite.
As a pivotal example, von Storch pointed to the infamous “hedgehog lies” of Chemnitz. In 2018, protests erupted following the brutal murder of a German citizen by asylum seekers. Instead of addressing public concerns about security and immigration, the Merkel government propagated a false narrative of “Nazi mobs hunting foreigners” to delegitimize the protests and, by extension, the AfD.
“They invented the ‘hedgehog lies’ to justify their crackdown on political dissent,” von Storch said, explaining how this fabrication paved the way for Hans-Georg Maaßen’s removal as head of the Verfassungsschutz. “This marked a critical turning point in the Verfassungsschutz’s transformation into a partisan tool,” she noted. “In his place, they installed the willing lackey Haldenwang, a man chosen not for his competence but for his loyalty to the CDU,” she charged.
Haldenwang, she argued, has since openly admitted his agency’s role in influencing public opinion against the AfD. “Haldenwang has publicly admitted, quote, ‘not only the Verfassungsschutz is responsible for lowering the survey values of the AfD, but that it is essential to this effort,’” von Storch stated. “He is not just complicit; he is essential,” she added, accusing him of undermining the democratic principle that voters—not intelligence agencies—should determine the fate of political parties.
Haldenwang: A Loyal Servant to the Establishment
Von Storch criticized Haldenwang as a “willing lackey” of the CDU. She highlighted Angela Merkel’s calculated decision in November 2018 to replace Hans-Georg Maaßen with Haldenwang, amid the AfD’s rising popularity and the CDU’s declining voter support. According to von Storch, this move was part of a deliberate strategy to suppress the AfD through a politically obedient and unremarkable figure.
“For his loyal service to the Union, he may now run for the Bundestag as a CDU candidate,” von Storch noted, underscoring the political benefits Haldenwang has gained. She further accused him of openly working to diminish the AfD’s credibility and violating democratic principles by using the Verfassungsschutz to influence public opinion. “This is a direct attack on the democratic principle that voters—not intelligence agencies—should determine the fate of political parties,” she stated.
Von Storch tied Haldenwang’s actions back to the Chemnitz protests, referencing how the “hedgehog lies” narrative became a broader strategy to suppress dissent. “The Merkel government knew it needed a scapegoat to distract from the failures of its immigration policies, and they found it in the AfD and the German citizens protesting in Chemnitz,” she said.
She concluded that Haldenwang had transformed the Verfassungsschutz into a partisan weapon, representing a broader attack on democracy. “This is about silencing opposition voices and denying the public the truth,” von Storch argued, warning of the dangerous precedent such actions set.
Kramer: An Obsessive Crusade Against the AfD
Turning her focus to Stephan Kramer, the President of Thuringia’s Verfassungsschutz, Von Storch exposed a litany of scandals. Kramer, whom she described as “technically unsuitable and unqualified,” has allegedly turned his agency into a tool of fear and intimidation, with one-fifth of its staff leaving under his leadership. Worse still, Kramer’s vendetta against the AfD is not even thinly veiled.
She highlighted his inflammatory rhetoric, such as labeling AfD voters as part of a “brown base,” and his decision to classify the party as a “test case” without legal justification. “Kramer’s personal fanatical war against the AfD is nothing less than a symptom of a sick system—an institutionalized abuse of power,” she charged. Even more damning, Von Storch revealed that Kramer relied on self-sourced, unverifiable materials to support his claims, circumventing established protocols and ignoring oversight.
“He threatened an employee with physical violence,” Von Storch added, underscoring the culture of fear Kramer has cultivated within his agency. “This is not a factual test of a danger to the constitutional order. This is Kramer’s personal obsession,” she declared, calling out the lack of accountability for his actions.
A Dangerous Precedent for Democracy
Von Storch’s speech was not just a critique of two individuals but a broader warning about the trajectory of German governance. She questioned the very nature of democracy in a system where intelligence agencies, rather than the electorate, determine political outcomes. “The total failure of public control by the media, even when the rule of law and democracy are breaking, is the actual scandal,” she said, calling out the media’s complicity in failing to hold these figures accountable.
This misuse of intelligence agencies is not unique to Germany. Similar allegations have surfaced in other democracies, from the United States to the United Kingdom, raising serious concerns about the global erosion of democratic principles and the institutions designed to protect them, all in service of advancing leftist and even Islamic political agendas.
“In a democracy, the fate of a party is decided by the voters. In a dictatorship, it’s decided by the intelligence service,” she proclaimed, urging her audience to reflect on the disturbing parallels.
“And now think very briefly about which direction we are developing right now,” she added, leaving her audience with a chilling question about the state of German democracy.
“If you do not use this debate to admit that Haldenwang and Kramer are a danger to democracy, then you are complicit in the erosion of our constitutional order,” she concluded.
A Time for Accountability
Beatrix von Storch’s speech is a reminder of the stakes in modern German politics. The AfD, which is relentlessly vilified by the mainstream, has emerged as the only party willing to confront the abuses of power that threaten the fabric of democracy. As the German establishment continues to use the tools of the state to silence dissent, Von Storch is urging Germans to demand accountability, transparency, and true constitutional protection.
“Kramer and Haldenwang are symptoms of a sick system—an institutionalized abuse of power,” she said, reiterating that this fight is not just about the AfD but about the future of democracy in Germany.
The question remains: will Germany heed her warning, or will it allow its democracy to be eroded from within?
RAIR Foundation
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