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Germany Moves to Block Far-Right AfD From Accessing Classified War Plans
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Germany’s Defense Ministry is exploring measures to block the state premier’s office in Saxony-Anhalt from accessing highly sensitive wartime crisis-response plans, Bloomberg reported on September 10.
The restriction would take effect if the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) takes power in the region.
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The blueprint, known as OPLAN, is a classified 1,000-page document that outlines joint defense strategies by German and NATO authorities in the event of a military crisis or war. It requires a coordinated response between federal and regional officials, as Germany serves as a central hub for transferring NATO troops eastward during an alliance defense operation.
German domestic intelligence agencies have long scrutinized the Alternative for Germany (AfD) over its extensive ties to Moscow and its potential role as a conduit for Russian influence. The AfD has faced mounting accusations of operating as a “Trojan horse” for the Kremlin, with senior officials warning that the party frequently abuses parliamentary inquiries to gather sensitive intelligence on Germany’s critical infrastructure—information that directly benefits Russian hybrid warfare operations.
The party consistently opposes EU integration, rejects military aid to Ukraine, and advocates for restoring deep economic ties with Russia, while multiple AfD figures have been investigated for accepting funds from Kremlin-linked media networks.
The full version of the OPLAN is available to the leaders of Germany’s 16 states, with local authorities holding access to relevant regional sections.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told defense policy experts during a closed-door meeting this week that he aims to prevent an AfD-led state government from obtaining the ability to pass the planning document to Russia. Decision-makers anticipate that OPLAN could be activated in the event of an escalation with Moscow, according to Bloomberg.
The move follows the AfD’s strong performance in Sunday’s state election in Saxony-Anhalt, where the anti-immigration party secured 44% of the vote—falling just three seats short of an outright majority. Bloomberg reported that the parliamentary maneuvering next month could hand the far right executive power in a German region for the first time since World War II.
Germany’s security establishment and domestic intelligence agencies already consider parts of the AfD a threat to the constitutional order.
The party’s embrace of Moscow, which includes rejecting military aid for Ukraine and advocating for the restoration of Russian economic ties, has drawn sharp scrutiny. German officials have spent months deliberating how to safeguard sensitive security data if the party assumes control of state-level operations, with options reportedly including deleting or reclassifying certain intelligence, Bloomberg wrote.
The Defense Ministry declined to comment further on the classified plan.
Concerns over Russian political influence in Germany are not limited to the far right, as ties between Moscow and former German leadership remain a point of friction. Аormer Chancellor Gerhard Schröder previously made an unannounced visit to Moscow, coinciding with the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
The trip followed a proposal by Vladimir Putin suggesting Schröder serve as an EU peace mediator—a role immediately rejected by both the EU and Ukraine.
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