AI-generated summary
The Operation Plan Germany is a confidential military plan of the Bundeswehr for national and alliance defense. Its storage in the State Chancellery of Saxony-Anhalt is part of the federal system, with the states having certain responsibilities in the event of a disaster and defense.
The President of the Bundeswehr Reservist Association, CDU member of the Bundestag Bastian Ernst, wants to get the Germany Operational Plan back from the State Chancellery of Saxony-Anhalt if the AfD takes over the government in Magdeburg. "The AfD is a great danger for our country," he told the editorial network Germany (RND). »If she were to take over the government in Saxony-Anhalt, then the Germany operational plan and other relevant information would almost certainly flow to Russia. That’s why the plan should be brought back from Saxony-Anhalt.”
Ernst added: »An alternative would be to basically deposit the Oplan in the Ministry of Defense. Then people or institutions could only view it with prior approval. In the event of war, different rules would apply anyway. Then the federal government would have increasing access to the states and thus also to Saxony-Anhalt.
Supporting Boris Pistorius
According to RND information, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) had already spoken out in favor of a possible reversal of the plan on Tuesday in front of defense experts from the coalition factions.
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The federal government will initiate an examination of the storage locations of sensitive military plans if the AfD gains power in Saxony-Anhalt.
Likely · Within months
The AfD will reject the allegations of a threat to national security and present them as motivated by party politics.
Very likely · Within weeks
Federal Education Minister Karin Prien attributes the low mood of Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the CDU to a lack of empathy towards citizens. After the election debacle in Saxony-Anhalt, she is calling for a rethink in order to take the population's fears seriously.
In the local elections in Lower Saxony, the CDU became the strongest force ahead of the SPD despite losing votes. The AfD achieved significant gains. In several cities, including Hanover and Braunschweig, runoff elections for mayoral offices are required at the end of September.
In the mayoral election in Hanover, incumbent Belit Onay (Greens) received 45.6 percent of the vote in the first round, followed by SPD candidate Axel von der Ohe with 21.5 percent. A runoff election between the two is scheduled for September 27th. Onay has been in office since 2019 and would be the first Green Party leader in the city if he wins.
The reservist association wants to get the Germany operation plan back from the State Chancellery of Saxony-Anhalt if the AfD takes over the government there, as it poses a threat to national security and information could flow to Russia. The association suggests that the plan be deposited with the Ministry of Defense instead. The AfD achieved 43.8 percent in the most recent election in Saxony-Anhalt and could form a state government classified as right-wing extremist for the first time.
In the local elections in Salzgitter, the AfD became the strongest force in the city council with 27.39 percent, just ahead of the SPD and CDU. In the mayoral election, AfD candidate Patricia Mair will go into the runoff against incumbent Frank Klingebiel (CDU). Nationwide, the AfD in Lower Saxony improved its result to 16.5 percent.
In the event of an AfD government in Saxony-Anhalt, the SPD, the Greens and the Left have spoken out in favor of using the federal obligation under Article 37 of the Basic Law. They demand the use of measures such as compulsory administration, funding cuts or federal police deployment in order to prevent unconstitutional actions. The Left criticizes the reaction as too late and is calling for party ban proceedings at the Federal Constitutional Court.