Friesland Electoral Committee Bars AfD Lawmaker Sichert from County Commissioner Candidacy

According to the court, the Electoral Committee pointed to what it called "an overall picture shaped by hostility toward the constitution." This assessment is also based on the fact that the AfD in Lower Saxony is classified as a surveillance subject of considerable significance by the state Office for the Protection of the Constitution.

Sichert himself announced the Electoral Committee's decision on Facebook and said he would take legal action. He initially provided no further details about the nature of the planned proceedings — for instance, whether he intends to file a lawsuit with the administrative court or seek an emergency motion.

Reaction of the AfD

The AfD Lower Saxony condemned the move "in the strongest possible terms," the state chapter said. AfD state chairman Ansgar Schledde said it was absurd to classify Sichert as "not loyal to the constitution" because of his AfD membership. The party views the disqualification as an impermissible interference with passive suffrage.

Legally, the Electoral Committee is on solid ground under the relevant administrative case law, according to which parties classified as confirmed extremist by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution can be kept away from offices in local self-government. In Lower Saxony, the AfD has not yet been classified as confirmed extremist but is listed as a surveillance subject of considerable significance.

Situation in Friesland

The incumbent county commissioner, Sven Ambrosy of the SPD, is not running again in Friesland. As a result, the succession was open regardless of the dispute over Sichert. The local elections in Lower Saxony are scheduled for 13 September.

In substance, the decision comes at a time when several state electoral committees are handling applications from AfD members in different ways. While some panels have admitted candidacies, others — as in Friesland now — point to the party's overall profile.

Legal Framework

Observers see the decision as a signal that electoral committees in Lower Saxony are increasingly willing to review applications from AfD members on the basis of constitutional-protection assessments. Regardless, the outcome of the proceedings announced by Sichert remains to be seen.

For the local elections in Friesland, the disqualification means that Sichert's name will not appear on the ballot for the county commissioner race — provided no court overturns the decision. Until 13 September, it therefore remains open which candidates will ultimately stand.

The case also raises fundamental questions: How far may an electoral committee go in assessing an applicant's loyalty to the constitution? And from what degree of surveillance by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution is this sufficient to reject a candidacy? Answers to these questions may also depend on future administrative court rulings.