Access Denied: Seven AfD Employees Barred from Bundestag for Security Reasons

Seven staff members associated with the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party have been denied access passes to the Bundestag due to security concerns. This measure, confirmed by a spokesperson for the AfD parliamentary group, affects five employees working directly for AfD parliamentarians and two staff members from within the party's own group. According to the spokesperson, one of the two affected parliamentary group staff is no longer employed by the faction.

The increase in staff denied access passes has drawn renewed attention to the security protocols governing entry to the German parliament. Security checks for parliamentary staff are standard procedure, with authorities reviewing backgrounds through police agencies. While proposals were previously raised to extend these checks to include inquiries with the domestic intelligence service, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, such measures have not been implemented. Currently, only staff with access to highly classified information undergo such vetting through the intelligence service.

The issue has sparked a debate over remuneration for those denied entry. Bundestag President Julia Klöckner has advocated for a policy whereby employees who do not receive access passes--and therefore cannot access parliamentary IT systems--should not be paid from public funds. Klöckner has called on parliamentary groups to amend legislation to formalize this approach, arguing that those who fail security checks should not be employed by members of parliament or compensated with taxpayer money.

On the other hand, the AfD parliamentary group has raised concerns about the transparency and objectivity of the criteria used to assess the reliability of staff members. The group has questioned how these criteria are determined and whether they are being applied consistently. This dispute highlights broader tensions regarding security standards in the Bundestag and the balance between safeguarding parliamentary integrity and ensuring fair employment practices.

Previous discussions within the former coalition government of the Social Democrats, Greens, and Free Democrats had considered strengthening security vetting by involving the intelligence service in routine checks for all parliamentary staff. However, the coalition ended before any such regulations could be enacted. As a result, only those with responsibilities related to sensitive parliamentary documents face this additional layer of scrutiny.

The ongoing situation leaves affected AfD staff unable to perform their duties within the Bundestag premises, effectively limiting their ability to support both the party's parliamentary work and the elected representatives they serve. The debate over whether such employees should continue to receive salaries remains unresolved, with parliamentary leadership seeking legislative changes and party officials urging a review of assessment standards.

This development underscores the increasing focus on security within Germany's legislative institutions amid concerns about potential influence or breaches. The outcome of proposed legislative amendments, and how they are implemented across parliamentary groups, will likely influence future policies regarding staff vetting, access, and compensation in the Bundestag.